Didier Reynders
Encyclopedia
Didier J.L. Reynders is a Belgian
politician and a member of the Mouvement Réformateur
(MR). He is Belgian Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister for Finance and Institutional Reforms in the Van Rompuy I Government
, which took office on 30 December 2008.
He was born in Liège
as the youngest in a family of three children. He studied law at the University of Liège
. He served as Chairman of the NMBS / SNCB from 1986 to 1991. He is currently Minister of Finance since 1999 and Deputy Prime Minister since 2004. He was the chairman of the Mouvement Réformateur
from 2004 to 2011.
Reynders led the MR to a victory in the 2007 election, with the MR becoming the largest Francophone party of Belgium. The Belgian King
appointed Reynders as informateur, i.e. to start off the informal coalition talks for a new federal government
.
Stalemate followed the 2010 general election. The King appointed a succession of people to negotiate a coalition from June 2010 onwards, but none succeeded in the task of forming a new government during the following seven months. Reynders was appointed informateur by the King on 2 February 2011. He reported on 16 February 2011, and his brief was extended through 1 March 2011.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
politician and a member of the Mouvement Réformateur
Reformist Movement
The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections...
(MR). He is Belgian Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some counties, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both...
and Minister for Finance and Institutional Reforms in the Van Rompuy I Government
Van Rompuy I Government
The Van Rompuy I Government was the federal government of Belgium from 30 December 2008 until 15 November 2009. Herman Van Rompuy was nominated as the first President of the European Council and resigned shortly after as Premier...
, which took office on 30 December 2008.
He was born in Liège
Liège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
as the youngest in a family of three children. He studied law at the University of Liège
University of Liège
The University of Liège , in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium, is a major public university in the French Community of Belgium. Its official language is French.-History:...
. He served as Chairman of the NMBS / SNCB from 1986 to 1991. He is currently Minister of Finance since 1999 and Deputy Prime Minister since 2004. He was the chairman of the Mouvement Réformateur
Reformist Movement
The Reformist Movement is a French-speaking liberal political party in Belgium. The party was in coalition as part of the Leterme II Government, and was also part of the governing coalition in the Walloon Region and Brussels-Capital Region until the 2004 regional elections...
from 2004 to 2011.
Reynders led the MR to a victory in the 2007 election, with the MR becoming the largest Francophone party of Belgium. The Belgian King
Albert II of Belgium
Albert II is the current reigning King of the Belgians, a constitutional monarch. He is a member of the royal house "of Belgium"; formerly this house was named Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
appointed Reynders as informateur, i.e. to start off the informal coalition talks for a new federal government
2007–2008 Belgian government formation
The 2007–2008 Belgian government formation followed the general election of 10 June 2007, and consisted of a period of negotiation in which the Flemish parties Flemish Liberal Democratic , Christian Democratic and Flemish and New Flemish Alliance , and the French-speaking parties Reformist...
.
Stalemate followed the 2010 general election. The King appointed a succession of people to negotiate a coalition from June 2010 onwards, but none succeeded in the task of forming a new government during the following seven months. Reynders was appointed informateur by the King on 2 February 2011. He reported on 16 February 2011, and his brief was extended through 1 March 2011.