At 9am on Monday morning the ministers that make up Belgium’s new Federal Government swore their oaths to the King at the Royal Palace. In addition to Prime Minister Bart De Wever (Flemish nationalist), the new federal government consists of 14 ministers, 7 Flemings and 7 Francophones.
Among the Flemings there are 3 ministers from Mr De Wever’s Flemish nationalist party N-VA, 2 ministers from the socialist party Vooruit and 2 ministers from the Christian democrat party CD&V.
The largest Francophone party in the new coalition, the liberal party MR, has 4 ministers. The centrist Francophone party Les Engagés has 3 ministers in the new federal government.
Each party appoints a Deputy Prime Minister that is its representative in the Inner Cabinet. This time around all 7 Deputy Prime Ministers are male. The new federal cabinet as a whole is very much male dominated with 4 just female ministers.
The Flemish misters in the new federal government
Jan Jambon (Flemish nationalist) is his party’s Deputy Prime Minister. His ministerial responsibilities are finance and pensions. Mr Jambon already has experience in the federal government and was Minister of the Interior from 2014 to 2018. He was Flemish Prime Minister from 2019 to 2024.
Franck Vandenbroucke (Flemish socialist): Mr Vandenbrouck is Vooruit’s Deputy Prime Minister. Mr Vandenbroucke made a surprise return to government when he was appointed Health Minister when the previous government took office in 2020. Mr Vandenbroucke's ministerial responsibilities in the new federal government are health and social affairs.
Vincent Van Peteghem (Flemish Christian demoncrat): As well as being CD&V’s Deputy Prime Minister, Vincent Van Peteghem will be responsible for the budget in the new federal government. Mr Van Peteghem was Finance Minister in the previous federal government.
Theo Francken (Flemish nationalist): Mr Francken was Federal Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration from 2014 to 2018. Mr Francken is Defence Minister in the new federal government.
Anneleen Van Bossuyt (Flemish nationalist): A newcomer to the federal government is Anneleen Van Bossuyt. Ms Bossuyt is the party’s group leader on Ghent City Council and she scored well in October’s local elections. A former MEP, she has been a member of the federal parliament since 2019. Her ministerial portfolio covers asylum and migration.
Annelies Verlinden (Flemish Christian democrat): Annelies Verlinden was the Interior Minister in the previous federal government. In the new federal government she is Justice Minister.
Rob Beenders (Flemish socialist): The 45-year-old former Flemish MP and Hasselt Alderman is the new federal minister responsible for equal opportunities and social fraud.
The Francophone ministers
Bernard Quintin (Francophone liberal): The Foreign Minister in the outgoing federal government, Bernard Quintin is MR’s Deputy Prime Minster and the Interior Minister in the new federal government. Mr Quintin worked as a diplomat until he was brought into the outgoing federal government to replace Hadja Lahbib when she became European commissioner.
Maxime Prévot: (Francophone centrist): The leader of Les Engagés Maxime Prévot is the party’s Deputy Prime Minister in the new federal government. He is also Belgium’s new foreign minister. The leader of his party will go to MEP Yvan Verougstraete.
Jean-Luc Crucke : (Francophone centrist) Mr Crucke has already been a regional minister for the Francophone liberals. Now he enters the federal government for the first time as Climate and Transport Minister for Les Engagés.
Vennesa Matz: Venessa Matz was Group Leader for Les Engagés during the previous legislature. In the new federal government, she is responsible for modernising government.
David Clarinval (Francophone liberal): Mr Clarinval was Minister for Small Business in the previous federal government. In the new federal government his responsibilities will be work and the economy.
Mathieu Bihet (Francophone liberal): Mr Bihet is a newcomer to government. He is the new federal energy minister.
Eléonore Simonet (Francophone liberal): The youngest member of the new government, 27-year-old Eléonore Simonet, is the daughter of the late former Brussels First Minister Jacques Simonet. Ms Simonet is responsible for agriculture and small and medium-sized businesses in the new federal government.