Flemish Government

Jambon (2019-current) edit

The coalition replaced the interim Homans Government, again consisting of the   N-VA (35 seats),   CD&V (19 seats) and   Open Vld (16 seats). In contrary to what was expected, the N-VA only has four ministers (instead of five), while CD&V has three (instead of only two). Finally, Open Vld has two ministers.

Changes edit

• On 12 May 2022 Wouter Beke announced to be resigning from the Flemish Government after suffering months of criticism on his approach towards tackling the corona crisis, the waiting lists in healthcare and the abuses in childcare. Beke returned to take up the position of mayor of Leopoldsburg. ^[1]. A few days later, CD&V announced that his portfolios (Welfare, Health, Family and Poverty Reduction) would be taken over by Hilde Crevits, who would in turn leave her portfolios (Economy, Employment, Social Economy, Innovation and Agriculture) to newcomer Jo Brouns.^[2]
• On 6 November 2023 Bart Somers announced to be resigning from the Flemish Government to take up his position as mayor of Mechelen, replacing acting mayor Alexander Vandersmissen.^[3] One day later, Gwendolyn Rutten was announced as the successor of Somers.^[4]

Homans (2019) edit

Bourgeois (2014–2019) edit

Peeters II (2009–2014) edit

Following the 7 June 2009 election,  CD&V (31 seats),  N-VA (16 seats) and  SP.A (19 seats) parties formed a coalition.

Leterme I/Peeters I (2004–2009) edit

Following the 2004 election,   CD&V (29 seats)/  N-VA (6 seats),   sp.a/  Sociaal-Liberale Partij (25 seats) and   Open Vld (19 seats) parties formed a coalition.

• From 19 July 2004 to 26 June 2007, the Minister-President of Flanders was Yves Leterme (CD&V), leading a coalition of CD&V-N-VA, VLD-Vivant, and SP.A-Vl.Pro.
• On 26 June 2007, in the aftermath of the 2007 Belgian general elections, Yves Leterme and Inge Vervotte resigned as minister-president and minister in the Flemish Government to take their seats in the Belgian Parliament. On 28 June Kris Peeters was sworn in as new minister-president, taking over the responsibilities of Leterme, and Vanackere and Crevits replaced Vervotte and Peeters as Flemish ministers.
• On 10 October 2007 Fientje Moerman resigned due to the fallout of a hiring scandal; she was replaced as vice-minister-president by Dirk Van Mechelen and as minister by Patricia Ceysens.
• On 22 September 2008 Geert Bourgeois (N-VA) was forced to resign due to pressure by the SP.A-Vl.Pro and Open VLD coalition partners because of his party's no confidence vote in the federal government of Leterme and their lack of trust in further negotiations by the Regions regarding the state reform. His portfolios of Administrative Affairs, Foreign Policy, Media and Tourism were taken over by minister-president Peeters.
• On 30 December 2008 Steven Vanackere resigned to become federal Minister of Civil Service and Public Enterprises. He was replaced in the Flemish Government by Veerle Heeren.

The composition at the end of the legislature:

Dewael I (1999–2003)/Somers I (2003–2004) edit

After the regional elections of 1999, a coalition of VLD, SP, Agalev and the VU was formed with Patrick Dewael (VLD) as Minister-President.

After the federal elections of June 2003, Patrick Dewael resigned as Minister-President and went to the federal political level. He was succeeded by Bart Somers as Flemish Minister-President until the end of term in 2004. Due to changes in political parties, the coalition was different:

• Volksunie (VU) fell apart. Instead, Spirit entered the coalition
• the SP was renamed to SP.a
• Agalev was renamed to Groen!

Van den Brande IV (1995–1999) edit

After the regional elections of 1995 (which were the first direct elections for the Flemish Parliament), a coalition of CVP and SP was formed.

The Flemish administration (Dutch: Vlaamse overheid) denotes the Flemish civil service. With the 2006 reform program Better Administrative Policy (Dutch: Beter Bestuurlijk Beleid), the Flemish civil service is designed to make the Flemish public administration more efficient and transparent.

The tasks of the Flemish public administration are now organised in 13 policy areas. Each policy area comprises a department and a number of (semi-) independent government agencies. Only those with their own article are mentioned below.

The 11 policy areas are:

1. Public Governance and the Chancellery (KB)
2. Foreign Affairs (iV)
   • Liaison Agency Flanders-Europe (vleva)
   • Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT)
3. Finance and Budget (FB)
4. Education and Training (OV)
5. Economy, Science and Innovation (EWI)
   • Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology (IWT)
   • Participatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen (PMV)
   • National Botanic Garden of Belgium
6. Culture, Youth, Sport and Media (CJSM)
   • Agency for the Promotion of Physical Development, Sport and the Outdoor Recreation (Bloso)
   • Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA)
7. Welfare, Public Health and Family (WVG)
   • Care Inspectorate
8. Agriculture and Fisheries (LV)
9. Work and Social Economy (WSE)
10. Mobility and Public Works (MOW)
    • Flemish Transport Company "De Lijn"
11. Environment (OMG)
    • Flemish Energy Agency (VEA)
    • Immovable Heritage

Several other institutes, such as the Flemish Opera and the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), were not incorporated into the above structure.

Every year, the Minister-President presents the current state of affairs in Flanders and the Government's plans for next year during the September Declaration on the fourth Monday in September.

The below figures use the 2018 budget as example, which had €44.7 billion in expenses and €42.3 billion in revenue.^[5]

The revenue comes from the following sources:

• 56% – Special financing law: the so-called "shared taxes" and "merged taxes" which the federal government raises through income taxes and VAT and partially transfers to the communities and regions based on a complex formula
• 34% – Fiscal autonomy
  • 18% – Opcentiemen: additional "centimes" to the federal income tax (the height of which can be set by the Flemish Government)
  • 16% – Regional taxes (taxes under the proper authority of the Flemish Government), such as the traffic tax and inheritance tax
• 10% – Other revenues

The expenses are as follows per policy area:

The Flemish Government owns the rights to Flanders Today, an English-speaking online and print newspaper focused on current affairs in Flanders and Brussels. The project was launched in 2007 by Geert Bourgeois – then Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism -, for three main reasons:^[6]

• Facilitating the integration of expats living in the region by informing them of the region's current events.
• Informing international journalists about the region, as most foreign correspondents based in Brussels get their news from the French-speaking press because the majority cannot read Dutch. Flanders Today would act as a counterweight to that side of every story.
• Informing diplomats, investors, potential tourists and others outside of Belgium's borders about the region.

In May 2017, the Flemish Government announced it would not be rebidding the Flanders Today project. Both the print and the online version of the paper are to be shut down in October 2017.^[7]

• Flanders
• Flanders in Action
• Flemish Community Commission
• Government of the Brussels-Capital Region
• Government of the French Community
• Politics of Flanders

• Flemish government (Dutch: Vlaamse overheid), in English
• Flemish government (Dutch: Vlaamse overheid), in Dutch
• Flemish Parliament (Dutch: Vlaams Parlement)
• Flemish Government (Dutch: Vlaamse Regering)