Verhofstadt II Government facts for kids

The Verhofstadt II Government was the main government of Belgium for a few years. It was led by Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt. This government was in power from July 2003 to December 2007. It was the second time Guy Verhofstadt was Prime Minister.

This government was formed after the 2003 national election. It included four main political parties. These were the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD) and the Liberal Reformist Party (MR). It also included the Socialist Party (SP.a) and the Socialist Party (PS).

Because it had both liberal and socialist parties, people sometimes called it a "purple" government. It was similar to the previous government, the Verhofstadt I Government, but without the Green parties.

What Was the Verhofstadt II Government?

A government like this one is a team of people who run the country. They make important decisions and laws. The Prime Minister is like the captain of this team. Other members are called ministers. Each minister is in charge of a specific area, like finance, defense, or health.

Who Was in Charge?

The Verhofstadt II Government had many ministers. Each minister had a special job. For example, there was a Minister of Justice, a Minister of Foreign Affairs, and a Minister of Defence. There were also "Deputy Prime Ministers." These people helped the Prime Minister and were also in charge of their own ministries.

Here are some of the key people and their roles when the government first started:

• Prime Minister: Guy Verhofstadt (from the VLD party)
• Deputy Prime Ministers:
  • Laurette Onkelinx (PS) was also the Minister of Justice.
  • Louis Michel (MR) was also the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
  • Johan Vande Lanotte (SP.a) was also the Minister of the Budget.
  • Patrick Dewael (VLD) was also the Minister of the Interior.

Other important ministers included:

• Didier Reynders (MR) for Finance.
• André Flahaut (PS) for Defence.
• Fientje Moerman (VLD) for Economy and Energy.
• Freya Van den Bossche (SP.a) for Environment.

There were also "Secretaries of State." These people helped the ministers with specific tasks. For example, there was a Secretary of State for European Affairs.

How Governments Change: Reshuffles

Sometimes, the people in a government team change. This is called a "reshuffle." People might leave for new jobs or other reasons. When someone leaves, a new person takes their place.

Changes After 2004 Elections

After the regional elections in 2004, many changes happened. Some federal ministers moved to lead regional governments. This led to a big reshuffle. People sometimes called the government after this "Verhofstadt IIbis."

Here are some of the changes:

• Louis Michel became a European Commissioner. Didier Reynders took his place as Deputy Prime Minister. Karel De Gucht (VLD) became the new Foreign Minister.
• Frank Vandenbroucke joined the Flemish Government. Freya Van den Bossche took over his role as Minister of Labour. Bruno Tobback (SP.a) became the new Minister of Environment and Pensions.
• Fientje Moerman also joined the Flemish Government. Marc Verwilghen took over her role for Economy and Energy. Armand De Decker (MR) became the new Minister of Development Cooperation.
• Bert Anciaux joined the Flemish Government. Renaat Landuyt (SP.a) became the new Minister for Mobility.
• Marie Arena became a leader in the French Community government. Christian Dupont (PS) became the new minister.
• New people also joined as Secretaries of State, like Els Van Weert (Spirit) and Gisèle Mandaila Malamba (MR).

More Changes Later On

More changes happened in the government over time:

• In October 2005, Johan Vande Lanotte left to become the leader of his party (SP.a). Freya Van den Bossche became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Budget. Peter Vanvelthoven was promoted to Minister of Labour.
• After the 2007 national elections, the Verhofstadt II Government stayed in power for a while. It acted as a "caretaker government." This means it kept running things until a new government could be formed.
• During this caretaker period, more changes occurred. For example, Armand De Decker became the leader of the Belgian Senate. His job was taken over by Sabine Laruelle. Also, Rudy Demotte became a leader in the Walloon Government, and Didier Donfut took over his responsibilities.

Images for kids

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  This chart shows the support for the Verhofstadt II government in parliament.