Alfons Verplaetse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alfons Verplaetse
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| Governor of the National Bank of Belgium | |
| In office 1989–1999 |
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| Preceded by | Jean Godeaux |
| Succeeded by | Guy Quaden |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Alfons Remi Emiel, Viscount Verplaetse
19 February 1930 Zulte, Belgium |
| Died | 15 October 2020 (aged 90) Bonheiden, Belgium |
| Occupation | economist, civil servant |
Alfons "Fons" Remi Emiel, Viscount Verplaetse (born February 19, 1930 – died October 15, 2020) was an important Belgian economist. He served as the Governor of the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) from 1989 to 1999. He was one of the main people who helped change the value of the Belgian franc in 1982. This change was made to help Belgium's economy. As the head of the National Bank, he also helped Belgium get ready to use the euro currency in 1999.
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A Life in Economics
Alfons Verplaetse was born in Zulte, Belgium. After finishing his studies in commercial sciences at the Catholic University of Leuven, he started his career. He began working at the National Bank of Belgium in 1953. There, he worked in the bank's research department.
Helping Belgium's Economy in the 1980s
In 1982, Alfons Verplaetse joined the team of the Prime Minister, Wilfried Martens. He became a key advisor on economic matters. He worked with Jacques van Ypersele de Strihou on a plan to help the Belgian economy recover. A big part of this plan was to change the value of the Belgian franc in February 1982. This made Belgian goods cheaper for other countries to buy.
The plan was thought up by four people who met at Verplaetse's holiday home. This home was in a small village called Poupehan in the Ardennes region. Because of this, "Poupehan" became a term for important, private meetings where big decisions were made.
Leading the National Bank
Alfons Verplaetse became a director at the National Bank of Belgium in 1985. He was then made vice-governor in 1988. In 1989, he became the Governor, taking over from Jean Godeaux.
As Governor, he made important changes to Belgium's money system. In 1990, the Belgian franc was linked to the German mark. This helped to make the Belgian currency more stable. He also reformed how Belgium managed its money in 1991. These steps helped to improve Belgium's financial situation.
Preparing for the Euro
A major task during his time as Governor was getting Belgium ready for the European monetary integration. This was a big plan to create a single currency for many European countries. Alfons Verplaetse joined the board of the European Monetary Institute in 1994. Later, in 1998, he became a member of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank.
Verplaetse was supposed to retire in 1997. However, he stayed on until 1999 to make sure Belgium smoothly adopted the euro. The euro officially replaced the Belgian franc as Belgium's currency on January 1, 1999. After this, Guy Quaden became the new Governor of the National Bank.
In 1997, Verplaetse was also chosen to be the President of the Bank for International Settlements. This is an important bank for central banks around the world. He left this role in 1999. After retiring, he shared his economic knowledge to help with financial development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Alfons Verplaetse passed away on October 15, 2020. He died from COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium.
