Yves Leterme

Yves Leterme
Leterme in 2009
Prime Minister of Belgium
In office 25 November 2009 – 6 December 2011
Monarch	Albert II
Deputy	Didier Reynders
Preceded by	Herman Van Rompuy
Succeeded by	Elio Di Rupo
In office 20 March 2008 – 30 December 2008
Monarch	Albert II
Deputy	Didier Reynders
Preceded by	Guy Verhofstadt
Succeeded by	Herman Van Rompuy
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 17 July 2009 – 25 November 2009
Prime Minister	Herman Van Rompuy
Preceded by	Karel De Gucht
Succeeded by	Steven Vanackere
Minister-President of Flanders
In office 20 July 2004 – 28 June 2007
Preceded by	Bart Somers
Succeeded by	Kris Peeters
Party Leader of Christian Democratic and Flemish
In office 2003–2004
Preceded by	Stefaan De Clerck
Succeeded by	Jo Vandeurzen
Personal details
Born	Yves Camille Désiré Leterme (1960-10-06) 6 October 1960 (age 63) Wervik, Belgium
Political party	CD&V
Spouse	Sofie Haesen
Children	3
Alma mater	Catholic University of Leuven Ghent University

Yves Camille Désiré Leterme (Dutch: [ˈiːf ləˈtɛrmə]; born 6 October 1960) is a Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party (CD&V). He was the prime minister of Belgium, from November 2009 to December 2011.

Leterme was the prime minister from March 2008 to December 2008. He has been the minister of Foreign Affairs, deputy prime minister and minister of Budget, Institutional Reforms, Transport and the North Sea in the Belgian federal government. He is a former minister-president of Flanders and Flemish minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. Despite his French name, Leterme is Flemish. He is fluent in Dutch, French and English.

On 14 July 2008, facing the imminent failure to meet a self-imposed deadline to enact "constitutional reform" consisting of further devolution of powers to the nation's three linguistic communities, Leterme tendered his resignation to King Albert II. On 17 July, King Albert, after holding a flurry of consultations with leaders of political parties, labour unions, and the employers' association, rejected Leterme's resignation. Instead, the King appointed a three-person commission of representatives of the linguistic communities to investigate how to restart the reform process. The commission was to report to the King by 31 July 2008.^[1]

On 19 December 2008 he offered his resignation to King Albert II after a crisis surrounding the sale of Fortis to BNP Paribas.^[2] On 22 December 2008 the King accepted his resignation, along with that of his entire government. He remained Prime Minister until 30 December, when Herman Van Rompuy was appointed as his successor.^[3] On 24 November 2009, it was announced that Leterme would once again become Prime Minister, succeeding Van Rompuy, who had been selected to become the first President of the European Council.^[4]

On 22 April 2010 he once again offered his resignation to King Albert II after a key Flemish party, the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats, withdrew its support for the coalition government.^[5] An election followed in June, resulting in protracted attempts to negotiate a governing coalition. Leterme remained as caretaker Prime Minister, but on 13 September 2011 announced that he would leave the post by the end of the year to take up the position of Deputy Secretary-General at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.^[6] On 6 December 2011 Leterme was finally succeeded as Prime Minister by Elio Di Rupo, ending the longest run of a caretaker government in the developed world. The following day he was appointed to the honorary title of Minister of State.