View source for Minister-President of Flanders

{{short description|Head of the Flemish Government}}
{{Infobox Political post
| post = Minister-President
| body = Flanders
| native_name = ''Minister-president van Vlaanderen''
| flag = Flag of Flanders.svg
| flagsize = 110px
| flagcaption = [[Flag of Flanders]]
| insignia = Arms_of_Flanders.svg
| insigniasize = 100px
| insigniacaption = [[Coat of arms of Flanders]]
| termlength = Five years
| department = [[Flemish Government|Executive branch of the Flemish Government]]
| seat = [[Martyrs' Square, Brussels|Martyrs' Square 19]]<br/>[[City of Brussels|Brussels]], [[Belgium]]
| residence = [[Hotel Errera|Errera House]]<br/>[[Rue Royale, Brussels|Koningsstraat 14]]<br/>[[City of Brussels|Brussels]], [[Belgium]]
| image = 2Photographers Matthias Diependaele.jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| incumbent = [[Matthias Diependaele]]
| incumbentsince = 30 September 2024
| member_of = [[Flemish Government]]
| appointer = [[Monarchy of Belgium|King of the Belgians]]
| formation = 22 December 1981
| inaugural = [[Gaston Geens]]
| deputy = [[Hilde Crevits]]<br>[[Bart Somers]]<br>[[Ben Weyts]]
| precursor = [[President (government title)|President]] of the Flemish Executive
| constituting_instrument = [[Constitution of Belgium]]
| salary = €253,000 annually<ref>[http://www.nieuwsblad.be/article/detail.aspx?articleid=DMF20130721_00666080 Geen manager mag meer verdienen dan Kris Peeters], Het Nieuwsblad, Retrieved 2014-07-24.</ref>
| website = http://www.flanders.be/
}}
The '''[[minister-president]] of [[Flanders]]''' ({{langx|nl|Minister-president van Vlaanderen}}) is the [[Head of government|head]] of the [[Flemish Government]], which is the executive branch of the [[Flemish Region]] and [[Flemish Community]].<ref>See the [[communities, regions and language areas of Belgium]].</ref>

The incumbent officeholder is [[Matthias Diependaele]], who took over from [[Jan Jambon]], following the [[2024 Belgian regional elections]]. The current government is made up of three parties, the [[New Flemish Alliance]] (N-VA), [[Vooruit (political party)|Vooruit]], and [[Christian Democratic and Flemish]] (CD&V). The ministers were sworn in on 30 September 2024. The government consists of nine ministers, five for the N-VA, two for Vooruit and two for CD&V.

==Appointment==
Following the election of the [[Flemish Parliament]], a Flemish Government is formed with a maximum of eleven ministers. The largest party in the government coalition may choose the minister-president. Following the oath of office of all ministers before the Flemish Parliament, the minister-president alone takes the oath of office before the [[Monarchy of Belgium|King]] as well.

Regional elections are held every 5 years. The Flemish Parliament was elected directly for the first time in 1995. Prior to 1995, the members of the Flemish Parliament were the members of the Dutch language group of the Federal Parliament of Belgium.

<gallery>
File:Hôtel Errera 1.JPG|The {{Ill|Errera House|nl|Hôtel Errera}}, the official residence of the Minister-President of Flanders and his ministers
File:Het Martelarenplein te Brussel.jpg|The cabinet offices are located at the [[Place des Martyrs, Brussels|Place des Martyrs/Martelaarsplein]] in [[Brussels]]
</gallery>

== List of officeholders ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan="2" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" |Name<br />{{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! rowspan="2" |Elected
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! rowspan="2" |Political
Party
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Government
|-
!Took office
!Left office
!Time in office
|-
! rowspan="4" style="background:{{party color|Christian Democratic and Flemish}}" |1
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" |[[Gaston Geens]]<br />{{small|(1931–2002)}}
| [[1981 Belgian general election|1981]]
| rowspan="4" |22 December 1981
| rowspan="4" |21 January 1992
| rowspan="4" |10 years 30 days
| rowspan="4" |[[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CVP]]
| Geens I
| [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CVP]], [[Party for Freedom and Progress|PVV]], [[Socialistische Partij Anders|SP]], [[People's Union (Belgium)|VU]]
|-
| [[1985 Belgian general election|1985]]
| Geens II
| [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CVP]], [[Party for Freedom and Progress|PVV]]
|-
| rowspan=2|[[1987 Belgian general election|1987]]
| Geens III
| [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CVP]], [[Party for Freedom and Progress|PVV]]
|-
| Geens IV
| [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CVP]], [[Socialistische Partij Anders|SP]], [[Party for Freedom and Progress|PVV]], [[People's Union (Belgium)|VU]]
|-
! rowspan=4 style="background:{{party color|Christian Democratic and Flemish}}"|2
| rowspan=4|[[File:Flickr - europeanpeoplesparty - EPP Congress Bonn (630) (cropped).jpg|100px]]
| rowspan=4|[[Luc Van den Brande]]<br />{{small|(born 1945)}}
| rowspan="3" |[[1991 Belgian general election|1991]]
| rowspan=4|21 January 1992
| rowspan=4|13 July 1999
| rowspan="4" |7 years,
174 days
| rowspan=4|[[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CVP]]
| Van den Brande I
| [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CVP]], [[Socialistische Partij Anders|SP]]
|-
| Van den Brande II
| [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CVP]], [[Socialistische Partij Anders|SP]], [[People's Union (Belgium)|VU]]
|-
| Van den Brande III
| [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CVP]], [[Socialistische Partij Anders|SP]], [[People's Union (Belgium)|VU]]
|-
| [[1995 Belgian regional elections#Flemish Parliament|1995]]
| Van den Brande IV
| [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CVP]], [[Socialistische Partij Anders|SP]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats}}"|3
| [[File:President of the Chamber of Representatives Patrick Dewael, Brussels, 2009.jpg|100px]]
| [[Patrick Dewael]]<br />{{small|(born 1955)}}
| [[1999 Belgian regional elections#Flemish Parliament|1999]]
| 13 July 1999
| 5 June 2003
|3 years,
327 days
| [[Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten|VLD]]
| Dewael
| [[Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten|VLD]], [[Socialistische Partij Anders|SP]], [[Groen (political party)|Agalev]], [[People's Union (Belgium)|VU-ID]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats}}"|4
| [[File:Bart Somers (cropped).jpg|100px]]
| [[Bart Somers]]<br />{{small|(born 1964)}}
| —
| 11 June 2003
| 20 July 2004
|1 year,
39 days
| [[Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten|VLD]]
| Somers
| [[Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten|VLD]], [[Socialistische Partij Anders|sp.a]], [[Groen (political party)|Groen!]], [[Sociaal-Liberale Partij|Spirit]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Christian Democratic and Flemish}}"|5
| 
| [[Yves Leterme]]<br />{{small|(born 1960)}}
| [[2004 Belgian regional elections#Flemish Parliament|2004]]
| 20 July 2004
| 28 June 2007
|2 years,

342 days
| [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CD&V]]
| Leterme
| [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CD&V]], [[Socialistische Partij Anders|sp.a]]-[[Sociaal-Liberale Partij|Spirit]], [[Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten|VLD]]-[[Vivant]], [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]]
|-
! rowspan=2 style="background:{{party color|Christian Democratic and Flemish}}"|6
| rowspan=2| [[File:Kris-peeters-1391318830 (cropped).jpg|100px]]
| rowspan=2| [[Kris Peeters]]<br />{{small|(born 1962)}}
| —
| rowspan=2| 28 June 2007
| rowspan=2| 25 July 2014
| rowspan="2" |7 years,

27 days
| rowspan=2| [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CD&V]]
| Peeters I
| [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CD&V]], [[Socialistische Partij Anders|sp.a]]-[[Sociaal-Liberale Partij|Spirit]], [[Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten|VLD]], [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]]
|-
| [[2009 Belgian regional elections#Flemish Parliament|2009]]
| [[Peeters II Government|Peeters II]]
| [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CD&V]], [[Socialistische Partij Anders|sp.a]], [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|New Flemish Alliance}}"|7
| [[File:Geert Bourgeois.jpg|100px]]
| [[Geert Bourgeois]]<br />{{small|(born 1951)}}
| [[2014 Belgian regional elections|2014]]
| 25 July 2014
| 1 July 2019
|4 years,

350 days
| [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]]
| [[Bourgeois Government|Bourgeois]]
| [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]], [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CD&V]], [[Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten|Open Vld]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|New Flemish Alliance}}"|8
| [[File:Liesbeth-homans-1369839691.jpg|100px]]
| [[Liesbeth Homans]]<br />{{small|(born 1973)}}
| —
| 2 July 2019
| 1 October 2019
|91 days
| [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]]
| [[Homans Government|Homans]]
| [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]], [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CD&V]], [[Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten|Open Vld]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|New Flemish Alliance}}"|9
| [[File:Jan jambon-1529408527.jpg|100px]]
| [[Jan Jambon]]<br />{{small|(born 1960)}}
| [[2019 Belgian regional elections|2019]]
| 2 October 2019
| 29 September 2024
|4 years, 363 days
| [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]]
| [[Jambon Government|Jambon]]
| [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]], [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CD&V]], [[Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten|Open Vld]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|New Flemish Alliance}}"|10
| [[File:2Photographers Matthias Diependaele.jpg|100px]]
| [[Matthias Diependaele]]<br />{{small|(born 1979)}}
| [[2024 Belgian regional elections|2024]]
| 30 September 2024
| Incumbent
| {{Age in years and days|2024|9|30}}
| [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]]
| [[Diependaele Government|Diependaele]]
| [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]], [[Vooruit (political party)|Vooruit]], [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CD&V]]
|}

==Timeline==
<timeline>
ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:12
PlotArea  = top:10 bottom:50 right:130 left:20
AlignBars = late

Colors     =
  id:christian value:rgb(1,0.6,0) legend:Christian_Democrat
  id:liberal   value:rgb(0,0,1)   legend:Liberal
  id:nva       value:rgb(1,1,0)   legend:Flemish_Nationalist
  id:gray1  value:gray(0.8)
  id:gray2  value:gray(0.9)

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period     = from:01/01/1981 till:01/01/2026
TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:gray1 unit:year increment:5 start:1985 
ScaleMinor = gridcolor:gray2 unit:year increment:1 start:1981 
Legend     = columns:4 left:150 top:24 columnwidth:120

TextData =
  pos:(20,27) textcolor:black fontsize:M
  text:"Political parties:"

BarData =
  barset:PM

PlotData=
  width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
  barset:PM

 from: 22/12/1981 till: 21/01/1992 color:christian text:"[[Gaston Geens|Geens I-IV]]" fontsize:10
 from: 21/01/1992 till: 13/07/1999 color:christian text:"[[Luc Van den Brande|Van den Brande I-IV]]" fontsize:10
 from: 13/07/1999 till: 05/06/2003 color:liberal text:"[[Patrick Dewael|Dewael]]" fontsize:10
 from: 11/06/2003 till: 20/07/2004 color:liberal text:"[[Bart Somers|Somers]]" fontsize:10
 from: 20/07/2004 till: 28/06/2007 color:christian text:"[[Yves Leterme|Leterme]]" fontsize:10
 from: 28/06/2007 till: 25/07/2014 color:christian text:"[[Kris Peeters|Peeters I-II]]" fontsize:10
 from: 25/07/2014 till: 01/07/2019 color:nva text:"[[Geert Bourgeois|Bourgeois]]" fontsize:10
 from: 02/07/2019 till: 01/10/2019 color:nva text:"[[Liesbeth Homans|Homans]]" fontsize:10
 from: 02/10/2019 till: 29/09/2024 color:nva text:"[[Jan Jambon|Jambon]]" fontsize:10
 from: 30/09/2024 till: 06/07/2025 color:nva text:"[[Matthias Diependaele|Diependaele]]" fontsize:10
</timeline>

==See also==
* [[Prime Minister of Belgium]]
* [[Minister-President of the Brussels Capital-Region]]
* [[Minister-President of the French Community]]
* [[Minister-President of the German-speaking Community]]
* [[Minister-President of Wallonia]]
* [[Politics of Flanders]]
* [[Flemish Parliament]]
* [[Flemish Government]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Governments of Belgium}}

[[Category:Minister-presidents of Flanders|*]]
[[Category:1981 establishments in Belgium]]
[[Category:Politics of Flanders]]
[[Category:Lists of political office-holders in Belgium]]