Didier Reynders

Deputy-prime Minister and Minister of Finances of Belgium

Didier REYNDERS was born in Liège on August 6th, 1958.
After his humanities (Greek-Latin) at the “Institute Saint Jean Berchmans” of Liège, he obtained a degree in law at the University of Liège in 1981.

He subsequently practised as a lawyer for four years.

In 1985 he was appointed Director General of the Local Authorities Department of the Ministry of the Walloon Region. He held that position until January 1988.

From March 1987 to May 1988 he held the post of chief of staff of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and of Institutional reforms, Mr. Jean Gol.

He was chairman of the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer belges (SNCB-NMBS) from October 13th, 1986 to August 19th, 1991 and Chairman of the National Society of Airways from August 20th, 1991 to April 30th, 1993.

Between June 30th, 1992 and July 12th, 1999 he was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SEFB Record Bank.

Simultaneously, he pursued a political career in the PRL (Liberal Party) : he was elected as a member of the Liège Town Council in October 1988, and has been the leader of the PRL group there since early 1995. In 1991 he became the leader of the PRL group in the Provincial Council of Liège.
In May 1992 he was elected Deputy Chairman of the PRL, becoming a Member of Parliament on December 22nd, 1992 and Chairman of the group PRL-FDF group on October 29th, 1995; in November 1995 he became the chairman of the Provincial and District PRL Federation, which later became the MR.

On July 12th 1999, he was appointed Minister of Finance by King Albert II and Deputy-Prime Minister on July 18th, 2004.

He has chaired the Euro group (meeting of the Ministers of Finance of the euro area) from January 1 to December 31, 2001, and the Ecofin (meeting of the Ministers of Finance of the European Union) from July 1 to December 31, 2001.

From January 1, 2002, he has been chairing the G 10 which is the meeting of the main creditor States (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Great-Britain, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States).

Since October 11th, 2004, he is President of the Mouvement Réformateur (MR).

Member of the bureau and treasurer of the Liberal International since 14 May 2005