27 Facts About Geert Bourgeois

Geert Bourgeois previously served as the Minister-President of Flanders from 2014 to 2019.

Geert Bourgeois has been involved in local and regional politics in Flanders since 1976.

Geert Bourgeois's father, Emiel Bourgeois, was born in Hulste on 10 October 1918, towards the end of the First World War.

Geert Bourgeois went on to work as a primary school teacher.

Geert Bourgeois was rehabilitated and appointed headmaster at the primary school where he had previously been teaching.

Emiel Bourgeois married Izegem-born Gaby Vens, with whom he had two sons and two daughters.

Geert Bourgeois attended secondary school at Saint Joseph's College in Izegem before he went on to read law at Ghent University from 1970 to 1975.

Geert Bourgeois later became involved with the Flemish Nationalist Student Union and the Language Action Committee.

Geert Bourgeois took part in the municipal council elections for the first time in 1976.

Geert Bourgeois was elected into office with 997 preferential votes.

Geert Bourgeois continued to sit as a member of the Izegem municipal council until 2018, and did not stand again in the municipal council elections held that same year.

From 1977 onwards, Geert Bourgeois ran in all national elections.

Geert Bourgeois joined the national board of the Volksunie party, and from 1990 until 1993, served as chairman of the Association of Flemish Office Holders.

Geert Bourgeois gained nationwide acclaim for his activities as a member of the Dutroux Committee and the role he played in the Octopus negotiations.

In 1999, Geert Bourgeois became leader of the Volksunie political group in the Chamber of Representatives.

Geert Bourgeois was not prepared to back this agreement, in spite of the fact that it had been approved by the Volksunie's party board.

Around this time, Geert Bourgeois put together the so-called "Oranjehofgroep" along with people such as Frieda Brepoels, Eric Defoort, Ben Weyts and Bart De Wever.

From 2001 until 2004, Geert Bourgeois served as the first party chairman of the N-VA which engaged in fierce opposition against the "purple" coalition government.

In May 2003, Geert Bourgeois was re-elected into the federal Chamber of Representatives as the only N-VA candidate; he held his seat until 2004.

Geert Bourgeois remained a Member of the Flemish Parliament for over one month until he joined the Government of Flanders on 22 July 2004; he was succeeded as Member of the Flemish Parliament by Jan Loones.

Geert Bourgeois was succeeded as N-VA party chairman by Bart De Wever when he took up office in July 2004 as Flemish Minister for Public Governance, Foreign Policy, Media and Tourism in the Leterme I Government.

Geert Bourgeois subsequently resumed his seat as Member of the Flemish Parliament until June 2009.

Geert Bourgeois was in charge of Public Governance, Local and Provincial Government, Civic Integration, Tourism and the Vlaamse Rand.

Geert Bourgeois passed on his tenure as a Member of the Flemish Parliament to Wilfried Vandaele.

Geert Bourgeois was elected as a Member of the European Parliament in the 2019 European Parliament election on 26 May 2019.

On 2 July 2019, Geert Bourgeois resigned as Flemish minister-president in order to assume his new mandate as an MEP.

Geert Bourgeois was succeeded in this role by fellow party-member Liesbeth Homans, who became the first female minister-president of Flanders.