Wilfried Martens

Wilfried Martens
Martens in 1989
Leader of the European People's Party-European Democrats
In office 20 July 1994 – 20 July 1999
Preceded by	Leo Tindemans
Succeeded by	Hans-Gert Pöttering
President of the European People's Party
In office 16 July 1990 – 9 October 2013
Preceded by	Jacques Santer
Succeeded by	Joseph Daul
Prime Minister of Belgium
In office 17 December 1981 – 7 March 1992
Monarch	Baudouin
Preceded by	Mark Eyskens
Succeeded by	Jean-Luc Dehaene
In office 3 March 1979 – 6 April 1981
Monarch	Baudouin
Preceded by	Paul Vanden Boeynants
Succeeded by	Mark Eyskens
Personal details
Born	Wilfried Achiel Emma Martens (1936-04-19)19 April 1936 Sleidinge, Belgium
Died	9 October 2013(2013-10-09) (aged 77) Lokeren, Belgium
Political party	Christian People's Party
Spouses	Lieve Verschroeven ​ ​ (m. 1962; div. 1997)​ Ilse Schouteden ​ ​ (m. 1998; div. 2007)​ Miet Smet ​ (m. 2008⁠–⁠2013)​
Children	5
Alma mater	Catholic University of Leuven

Wilfried Achiel Emma Martens (Dutch: [ˈʋɪlfrit ˈmɑrtə(n)s] ^ⓘ; 19 April 1936 – 9 October 2013) was a Belgian politician who served as prime minister of Belgium from 1979 to 1981 and from 1981 to 1992. A member of the Flemish Christian People's Party, during his premiership he oversaw the transformation of Belgium into a federal state.^[1] He was one of the founders of the European People's Party.