31 Facts About Yves Leterme

Yves Camille Desire Leterme is a Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party.

Yves Leterme was the prime minister of Belgium, from November 2009 to December 2011.

Yves Leterme 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.

Yves Leterme is a former minister-president of Flanders and Flemish minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.

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, Yves Leterme tendered his resignation to King Albert II.

Yves 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.

On 6 December 2011 Yves Leterme was finally succeeded as Prime Minister by Elio Di Rupo, ending the longest run of a caretaker government in the developed world.

Yves Leterme was born on 6 October 1960 in the city of Wervik in the province of West Flanders.

Yves Leterme studied law at the Catholic University of Leuven where he received a LL.

Yves Leterme then became adjunct and then national secretary of the Christian People's Party until he resigned to become a civil servant with the European Union.

Yves Leterme has been a member of the city council of Ypres since 1995.

Yves Leterme served as alderman of Ypres from 1995 to 2001.

Yves Leterme was appointed to the Chamber of Representatives in 1997, elected in 1999 and 2003.

In 2004 Yves Leterme became Minister-President of the Flemish government.

Yves Leterme took a pragmatic course of increasing the economic dynamic and social wellbeing in Flanders.

Yves Leterme caused controversy again in a December 2007 interview with the Concentra newspapers by denouncing the RTBF for having its own political agenda, being a propagandist for CDH politician Joelle Milquet and being a relic of the past.

Yves Leterme further compared the broadcaster to Radio Mille Collines, which was a Rwandan propaganda outlet against the Tutsis during the Rwandan genocide, though he later mentioned he had only quoted what was said in political circles.

Yves Leterme was the favourite to become the next Prime Minister of Belgium following the 2007 General Election.

From 16 July to 23 August 2007, Yves Leterme led the formal coalition talks into forming a new government.

Yves Leterme was anticipated to become Prime Minister in a new government in March 2008.

Belgium's political uncertainty further deepened when Yves Leterme was hospitalised on 14 February 2008.

Yves Leterme set a deadline of 15 July 2008 to accomplish these goals.

On 15 July 2008, King Albert II issued a communique that Yves Leterme had offered his resignation to the king, and that the king was reserving his decision on whether to accept the resignation.

Yves Leterme was split and the Belgian government sold the Belgian part to French bank BNP Paribas.

Yves Leterme tendered his resignation and that of his government on 19 December 2008, which was accepted by King Albert II on 22 December.

Yves Leterme still supported his party in the October 2012 municipal elections.

In 2014, Yves Leterme became secretary-general of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

Yves Leterme has since taken on a number of paid and unpaid positions:.

In 2019, Yves Leterme became co-chairman of the board of directors of the Chinese investment fund ToJoy, alongside the former Serbian president Boris Tadic and Jose Maria Figueres, former president of Costa Rica.

Yves Leterme started a two-day visit to Vietnam Tuesday 11 August 2009 to boost bilateral and multifaceted co-operation between the two countries.

Yves Leterme met with Vietnamese officials to strengthen bilateral relations and co-operation in several sectors including politics, economics, and trade and investment, as well as discussed regional and global issues that are of interest to both sides.