Alexander De Croo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexander De Croo
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De Croo in 2024
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| Prime Minister of Belgium | |
| In office 1 October 2020 – 3 February 2025 |
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| Monarch | Philippe |
| Deputy |
See list
Vincent Van Peteghem
Georges Gilkinet Petra De Sutter Sophie Wilmès Vincent Van Quickenborne Pierre-Yves Dermagne Frank Vandenbroucke David Clarinval |
| Preceded by | Sophie Wilmès |
| Succeeded by | Bart De Wever |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 9 December 2018 – 1 October 2020 |
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| Prime Minister | Charles Michel Sophie Wilmès |
| Preceded by | Johan Van Overtveldt |
| Succeeded by | Vincent Van Peteghem |
| Minister of Development Cooperation | |
| In office 11 October 2014 – 1 October 2020 |
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| Prime Minister | Charles Michel Sophie Wilmès |
| Preceded by | Jean-Pascal Labille [fr] |
| Succeeded by | Meryame Kitir |
| Minister for the Digital Agenda, Telecommunications and Postal service | |
| In office 11 October 2014 – 9 December 2018 |
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| Prime Minister | Charles Michel |
| Preceded by | None |
| Succeeded by | Philippe De Backer |
| Minister of Pensions | |
| In office 22 October 2012 – 11 October 2014 |
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| Prime Minister | Elio Di Rupo |
| Preceded by | Vincent Van Quickenborne |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Bacquelaine |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium | |
| In office 22 October 2012 – 1 October 2020 |
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| Prime Minister | Elio Di Rupo Charles Michel Sophie Wilmès |
| Preceded by | Vincent Van Quickenborne |
| Succeeded by | Vincent Van Quickenborne |
| Leader of the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats | |
| In office 12 December 2009 – 22 October 2012 |
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| Deputy | Vincent Van Quickenborne Patricia Ceysens |
| Preceded by | Guy Verhofstadt (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Guy Verhofstadt (acting) |
| Vice President of Open VLD | |
| Assumed office 24 August 2024 |
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| President | Eva De Bleeker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 November 1975 Vilvoorde, Flanders, Belgium |
| Political party | Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats |
| Spouse | Annik Penders |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Vrije Universiteit Brussel (MSc) Northwestern University (MBA) |
Alexander De Croo (born 3 November 1975) is a Belgian politician and businessman. He was the Prime Minister of Belgium from October 2020 to February 2025.
Before becoming prime minister, De Croo held several important jobs in the Belgian government. He was a deputy prime minister for eight years, from 2012 to 2020. During that time, he also served as Minister of Pensions, Minister of Development Cooperation, and Minister of Finance.
De Croo was born in Vilvoorde, Belgium. He studied business engineering and later earned an MBA in the United States. Before entering politics, he worked for a consulting company and started his own business. He became involved in politics with the Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten (Open VLD) party and was its leader from 2009 to 2012.
In October 2020, more than a year after the 2019 elections, De Croo's government was formed, and he became prime minister. After his party lost support in the 2024 Belgian federal election, he announced he would step down. He stayed on as a temporary prime minister until a new government was formed. On February 3, 2025, Bart De Wever became the new prime minister.
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Early Life and Business Career
Alexander De Croo was born on November 3, 1975, in Vilvoorde, Belgium. His father, Herman De Croo, was also a famous politician.
In 1998, he graduated from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel with a degree in Business Engineering. He then went to Northwestern University in the United States and earned an MBA in 2004.
Before his political career, De Croo worked as a project leader at the Boston Consulting Group. In 2006, he started his own company called Darts-ip. The company helped professionals who work with intellectual property, like patents and trademarks.
Start in Politics
In 2009, De Croo entered politics for the first time by running in the European elections. Later that year, he ran for president of his political party, Open VLD. He won the election and became the party's leader. This was unusual because he did not have much political experience at the time.
A few months after becoming leader, De Croo's party left the government because of a major disagreement about voting rules. This led to the prime minister resigning and a new election being held in 2010. De Croo was elected as a senator and served in that role until 2012.
Working in the Government
Minister in Different Governments
In 2012, De Croo became the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Pensions in the government led by Elio Di Rupo.
After the 2014 election, he continued as Deputy Prime Minister in the new government. He also became the Minister of Development Cooperation, Digital Agenda, Telecom, and Postal Services. In this role, he worked on helping other countries. For example, Belgium was the first country to stop sending aid to Burundi when violence broke out there in 2015. He also helped start "She Decides," a global movement to support women's health and rights.
In 2018, he became the Minister of Finance. During the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, he helped create a plan to support the economy and made a deal to save Brussels Airlines.
Time as Prime Minister (2020–2025)
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On October 1, 2020, Alexander De Croo became the Prime Minister of Belgium. His government was called the "Vivaldi" coalition because it included seven different political parties, like the four seasons by the composer Vivaldi. His government was also notable because half of the ministers were women, more than any Belgian government before it.
Key Events During His Term
In February 2022, his government passed a law to make work schedules more flexible. It allowed employees to choose a four-day work week, with longer workdays.
After the conflict in Ukraine began, the government decided to increase spending on the military to meet NATO goals. This plan caused some debate among the parties in his government. In November 2022, De Croo visited Ukraine to show Belgium's support for the country.
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In November 2023, during the Gaza war, De Croo described Israel's military actions in Gaza as "disproportionate." The Israeli government criticized his comments.
In February 2024, De Croo attended a meeting in Paris to discuss more support for Ukraine. He announced that Belgium would give €200 million to help buy ammunition for Ukraine's army.
Resignation
In the 2024 Belgian federal election, De Croo's party did not perform well. As is the tradition, he announced his resignation as prime minister the next day. He remained in charge of a caretaker government until a new one could be formed. He was succeeded by Bart De Wever on February 3, 2025.
Disagreement with the Pope
In September 2024, Pope Francis visited Belgium. During the visit, De Croo and King Philippe spoke publicly about the need for the Catholic Church to address past abuses. Later, the Pope made comments about a law being discussed in Belgium. De Croo said the Pope's comments were "unacceptable" and a form of interference in his country's politics.
Personal Life
De Croo is married to Annik Penders, and they have two children. He enjoys riding horses and participates in an event with his father every year. He speaks Dutch, French, and English.
Other Activities
De Croo has been involved with several international organizations, including:
Honours
Netherlands: Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (2023)
Luxembourg: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (2024)
Ukraine: First Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (2024)
Images for kids
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De Croo with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2 December 2023
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De Croo with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine, 24 February 2024
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See also
In Spanish: Alexander De Croo para niños
