Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Female Leaders of Belgium Parties

Also see Belgium Ministers

Around 1960 Vice-President of the Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang, PVV Mrs. Claes-Van Wales

1972-? Leader of Humanistische Feministsche Partij Nina Arie

1972-? Leader of Humanistische Feministsche Partij Claire Bihin

Laur1972-? Leader of Humanistische Feministsche Partij Renée Waty-Fosseprez

1977-83 President of Front Demomcratique des Francophones Antoinette Spaak

1983-89 Chairperson of the Senate Faction of PVV Lucienne Herman-Michielsen

1984-91 Chairperson of the Senate Faction of Parti Reformateur Liberal Janine Derruelk-Gohbert

1985-89 Chairperson of PVV Annemie Neytts-Uijtenbroek
1999- President of the Liberal International (Umbrella Organisation of all Liberal Parties)

1989-93 Vice-Chairperson of the Senate Faction of Agalev (Green Party) Mieke Vogels
2006-09 Chairperson of the Faction of GROEN! in the Flemish Parliament
2007-09 Party Chairperson
Minister in the Flemish government 1999-2003.

1989-? National Secretary of Socialistische Partij Linda Blume (Blomme)

1993-94 Co-Leader of Ecolo (Green Party) Anne-Marie Lateur

1994-99 Co-Leader of Ecolo Isabelle Durant
2003-07 Chairperson of the Senate Faction of Ecolo
2004- Federal Co-Secretary of Ecolo
Vice-President of the European Parliament from 2009.

1995-2000 Chairperson of the Faction in the Chamber of Representative of the Volksunie (Right Wing) Annemie Van de Casteelle

1996-2000 Chairperson of the Senate Faction Parti Social Chrétien Magdeleine Willame-Boone

1997-2001 Chairperson of Front Noveau de Belgique Marguerite Bastien
A francophone extreme right-wing party

1998-? Co-Chairperson of Citizen's Movement for Change Nathalie de T'Serclaes
Became a Senator in 1998.

1999-2011 National President of the Centre Démocrate Humaniste, CHP  Joëlle Milquet
Vice-Chairperson of Parti Social Chretien, PSC, the Francophone Social Christian Party in 1999. Vice-Premier and Minister of Labour and Equality from 2008.

1999-2003 Chairperson of the Senate Faction of Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten, VLD, Jeannine Leduc

1999-2001 Chairperson of the Senate Faction of Socialistiche Partij Myriam Vanlerberge
2001 Chairperson of the Senate Faction of  SP.A
2001-07 Chairperson of the Senate Faction of SP.A-SPIRIT
Secretary of the Chamber of Representatives 1995-99.

1999-2003 Chairperson of the Senate Faction of Ecolo Marie Nagy

1999-2002 Co-Leader ECOLO Brigittte Ernst
Her post was that of Joint Federal Secretary and she shared it with two men.

2000-03 Chairperson of the Volksunie Faction in the Chamber of Representatives Frieda Brepoels

2001-02 Chairperson of  SPIRIT - Vrij Democratisch Vlaams Europees Mondial Annemie Van de Casteele
SPIRIT was the abbreviation of Sociaal, Progressief, Internationaal, Regionalistisch, Integraal-Democratisch Toekomstgericht (or Social Progressive, International, Regionalist, Integral-Democratic, Turned to the Future - Free, Democratic, Flemmish, European and Worldly)

2001-03 Chairperson of the Chamber Faction of AGALEV-Ecolo Muriel Gerkens

2002 Acting Co-Leader of SPIRIT Els Van Weert
2002-04 Chairperson of SPIRIT
One of the two Vice-Chairs of the party. Its most important members already joined the VLD. From 2004 Secretary of State in the Federal Government.

2002-04 Joint Federal Secretary of ECOLO Evelyne Huytebroeck
The two other secretaries were men. She was also Chairperson of the Parliamentary Faction of ECOLO in the Assembly of Bruxelles.  From 2004 Regional Minister of Environment in the Region of Bruxelles.

2003-11 Chairperson of the Senate Faction of Christen-Democratisch and Vlaams, CD&V NA Sabine barones de Bethune
First Vice-President of the Senate 1999-2003.

2003-09 Chairperson of the Senate Faction of Mouvement Réformateur, MR, Christine Defraigne
Senate President from 2014.

2003 Joint-De facto Leader and Co-Spokesperson of Agalev Vera Dua
2003-07 Chairperson of the Groen!
Former Flemish minister. In October 2003 she and Tinne Van der Straeten took over most of the real power from the nominal party Leader, Dirk Holemans. In November the party changed it's name from "Let us Live Differently" to "Green!", and she was elected the sole leader.

2003 Joint-De facto Leader and Co-Spokesperson of Agalev Tinne Van der Straeten
Spokesperson of Jong-Agalev, Young Green Party.

2003-07 Vice-Chairperson of SP.A Caroline Gennez
2004-07 Parliamentary Leader of SP.A-Spirit in the Flemish Parliament
2005 and 2007 Acting Party Chairperson
2007-11 Chairperson
Appointed Senator 2003-04 before becoming member of the Flemish Parliament. In 2010-11 she was part of her party's delegation in the government negotiations and widely expected to be given a ministerial position. (b. 1975-).

2007-08 Chairperson of VlaamsProgressieven Bettina Geysen
Resigned because of financial iregularities. (b. 1969-).

2007-10 Chairperson of the Faction of Ecolo-Groen! Meyrem Almaci

2008 Acting Joint Chairperson VlaamsProgressieven Nelly Maas
MP 1971-77 and 1985-91 and Secretary of the Bureau 1988-91, Senator 1978-81 and 1991-95, Member of the Flemish Assembly 1995-98 and Member of the European Parliament 1998-2004 and Party Deputy Chairperson from 2007. (b. 1940-).

2008-10 Chairperson of CD&V Marianne Thyssen
The Flemish Christian Democrats and candidate for the post of Prime Minister in 2010. Resigned as party leader after heavy defeats in parliamentary elections.

2009-11 Chairperson of the Senate Faction of Mouvement Réformateur, MR Dominique Tilmans

2009-11 Chairperson of the Faction of Open VLD Hilde Vautmans

2010-14 and 2014- Chairperson of the Chamber Faction of cdH Catherine Fonck
State Secretary in 2014.

2010 Chairperson of the Chamber Faction of CD&V Sonja Becq
Vice-President of the Chamber

2010-11 Chairperson of the Faction of Open VLD Maggie De Block
2012- Deputy Party Chairperson
Secretary of the Chamber of Deputies 2007-11 and Secretary of State of Asylum, Migration, Integration and the Fight Against Poverty from 2011.

2010-12 Senate Faction Chairperson of Ecolo Freya Piryns

2011-14 Chairperson of the MR Senate Faction Christine Defraigne
President of the Senate form 2014.

2011- Chairperson of the Chamber Faction of sp.a Karin Temmerman
Former Alderman of Gent, MP since 2010 (b. 1958-)

2011-12 Chairperson of the Senate Faction of of Sp.A Marleen Temmerman
Former City Coucillor of Gent and Senator 2007-12. (b. 1953-)

2012- Chairperson of Open VLD Gwendolyn Rutten
The party is the Flemish Liberals (b. 1975-)

2012-14 Chairperson of the Ecolo Senate Faction Zakia Khattabi

2011-14 Chairperson of the Senate Faction of Vlaams Belang Anke Van dermeersch
Elected MP for Vlaams Belang in 2003. (b. 1972-).

2013-14 Chairperson of the Chamber Group of Vlaams Belang Barbara Pas

2013-14 Chairperson of the Open VLD Senate Faction Martine Taelman

2014- Chairperson of the Chamber Faction of Open VLD Carina Van Cauter

2014- Chairperson of the Senate Faction of Ecolo-Groen Elisabeth Meuleman

2014- Chairperson of the Chamber Faction of Parti Socialiste Laurette Onkelinx
Former Minister

2014- Chairperson of Groen! Meryem Almaci
MP from 2007. (b. 1976).

Last update 24.11.14