Last days for minister-president Geert Bourgeois
Geert Bourgeois, minister-president of Flanders for the last five years, takes leave on Monday on his way to the European parliament
Replacement hospitalised
Bourgeois (pictured) is also Flemish minister of foreign affairs and heritage matters. Party colleague and vice-minister-president Liesbeth Homans – also Flemish minister of housing and equal opportunities – was expected to replace Bourgeois, but she was suddenly admitted to hospital yesterday. She is in the cardiology department, with tests being carried out on her heart and lungs.
Whether she will follow up Bourgeois is now unclear. Ministers will gather on Monday to make a decision. Education minister Hilde Crevits (CD&V) and culture minister Sven Gatz (Open VLD) are also vice-minister-presidents, but neither are N-VA, making them less ideal candidates as far as the government’s largest party is concerned.
Bourgeois isn’t the only minister heading to the European parliament next week; federal minister Kris Peeters (CD&V) – who preceded Geert Bourgeois as minister-president of Flanders – has also been elected as an MEP. CD&V chair Wouter Beke will replace him as federal minister of labour, the economy, consumer affairs, equal opportunities, foreign trade and poverty issues until a federal government forms.
Peeters’ portfolio is so big because he took on several posts that came free when N-VA walked out of the federal government coalition last December.
Photo: Dirk Waem/BELGA
