Biography

Image via Wikimedia

Working for the benefit of the community has always guided my professional and political life. Day after day, I try to improve the daily life of everyone in a dynamic, rigorous and transparent way. My political actions are guided by the liberal values which have always been defended by the Mouvement Réformateur, the francophone liberal party.

Beyond my interest in economic affairs, I am also sensitive to societal problems in the broadest sense: family life, work-life balance, gender equality, education, help and support of the sick and elder.

Committed to the unity of my country and its different communities, I want to live freely in an environment where everyone’s rights are respected. Having an Australian husband and children who are being raised in Dutch, I cherish linguistic and cultural diversity, a source of wealth for Belgium.

More generally, I wish to participate actively in the construction of a civic, responsible and sustainable society in which everyone feels safe. A society where one can develop oneself fully and freely.

To achieve this goal, there is no quick fix. I am convinced that the multiplication of initiatives, both public and individual, will ultimately make the difference to make Belgium a country with a robust economy where the quality of life of everyone continues to improve.

As such, I was first elected as a local representative for the municipality of Rhode-St-Genèse, then as an MP in the House of Representatives.

I joined the Belgian Federal Government on September 21, 2015 until October 26, 2019, in which I served as Minister for Budget and Civil Service, responsible for Scientific policy.
​
From October 27, 2019, I have taken charge as Prime minister and steered through a process of coalition building. The Covid-19 crisis took the world, Europe and Belgium off – guard. We have faced this challenge together, as a resilient Belgium.