Sophie Wilmès
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Sophie Wilmès (; born 15 January 1975) is a Belgian politician who served as the
prime minister of Belgium The prime minister of Belgium (; ; ) or the premier of Belgium is the head of the federal government of Belgium, and the most powerful person in Belgian politics. The first head of government in Belgian history was Henri van der Noot in 179 ...
from 2019 to 2020. She later served as
minister of foreign affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...
from 2020 to 2022. A member of the
Reformist Movement The Reformist Movement (, , MR) is a liberal French-speaking political party in Belgium, which includes social-liberal and conservative-liberal factions. Stemming from the Belgian Liberal Party founded in 1846, the MR is one of the oldest par ...
, she is the first woman to hold either position.Marine Strauss (1 October 2020
Finally, a government after 652 days: New Belgian PM debuts at EU summit
''
Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...
''.
Wilmès was elected to the Chamber of Representatives in 2014, and served as budget minister in the first and
second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...
governments of
Charles Michel Charles Michel (; born 21 December 1975) is a Belgian politician who served as the president of the European Council from 2019 to 2024. He previously served as the Prime Minister of Belgium, prime minister of Belgium between 2014 and 2019. Miche ...
from 2015 to 2019. In the aftermath of the
2019 Belgian federal election Federal elections were held in Belgium on 26 May 2019, alongside the country's European and regional elections. All 150 members of the Chamber of Representatives were elected from eleven multi-member constituencies. The far right-wing Vlaams ...
,
Philippe of Belgium Philippe (born 15 April 1960) is King of the Belgians. He is the eldest child of King Albert II and Queen Paola. He succeeded his father upon the former's abdication for health reasons on 21 July 2013. He married Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz in 1 ...
appointed Wilmès to lead a caretaker government (the Wilmès I Government) before she formed an executive government (the
Wilmès II Government The Wilmès II Government was a minority Federal Government of Belgium, led by Prime Minister of Belgium, Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès, the first female Prime Minister of Belgium. Wilmès had been selected as a caretaker prime minister follow ...
) in March 2020 to handle the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. In October 2020, she joined the
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
of Prime Minister
Alexander De Croo Alexander De Croo (; born 3 November 1975) is a Belgian politician and businessman who served as Prime Minister of Belgium from 2020 to 2025. Previously from 2012 to 2020, De Croo served as deputy prime minister in the governments of Elio Di Rup ...
as foreign minister and
deputy prime minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...
. She resigned in 2022 to take care of her husband who suffered from brain cancer. In June 2024, she was elected Member of the European Parliament, of which she is currently one of the Vice-Presidents.


Early life

Wilmès was born in
Ixelles (French language, French, ) or (Dutch language, Dutch, ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located to the south-east of Pentagon (Brussels), Brusse ...
,
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
on 15 January 1975. Her father, Philippe Wilmès, was a banker and economics professor at the
Université catholique de Louvain UCLouvain (or Université catholique de Louvain , French for Catholic University of Louvain, officially in English the University of Louvain) is Belgium's largest French-speaking university and one of the oldest in Europe (originally establishe ...
who had been active in liberal politics and had served as ''
chef de cabinet In some Francophone countries and international organisations, a ( French; literally 'head of office') is a senior official working for a high-ranking political or administrative figure such as a government minister. They are typically responsib ...
'' to Jean Gol of the Liberal Reformist Party (''Parti Réformateur Libéral'', PRL). Her paternal grandparents were killed in the bombing of Limal during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Her mother is of
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
descent and lost several relatives in
the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...
and had worked in the office of Mieke Offeciers between 1992 and 1993, during her term as Minister of Budget. Wilmès grew up in the town of
Grez-Doiceau Grez-Doiceau (; ; ) is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgium, Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006, Grez-Doiceau had a total population of 12,403. The total area is which gives a populatio ...
,
Walloon Brabant Walloon Brabant ( ; ; ) is a province located in Belgium's French-speaking region of Wallonia. It borders on (clockwise from the North) the province of Flemish Brabant (Flemish Region) and the provinces of Liège, Namur and Hainaut. Walloon Br ...
. Wilmès has a degree in applied communication from IHECS and a degree in financial management (
Saint-Louis University, Brussels UCLouvain Saint-Louis Brussels is an autonomous university campus specialized in social and human sciences part of UCLouvain and based in Brussels, Belgium. Established in 1857, Saint-Louis University, Brussels (officially, in French Universi ...
). For a time, Wilmès worked for the
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...
as a financial officer, and then as an economic and financial adviser in a law firm.


Political career

In 2000, Wilmès became a councillor in
Uccle Uccle (French language, French, ) or Ukkel (Dutch language, Dutch, ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the southern part of the region, it ...
. From 2006 to 2014, Wilmès was First Alderman in charge of Finance, Budget, Francophone Education, Communication and Local Businesses for the town of
Sint-Genesius-Rode Sint-Genesius-Rode (; ) is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in the Flemish region of Belgium. The municipality only comprises the town of Sint-Genesius-Rode proper, and lies between Brussels and Waterloo in Wallonia. On January ...
. From 2014 to 2015, she was a provincial councillor for the province of
Flemish Brabant Flemish Brabant ( ; ) is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on (clockwise from the North) the Belgian provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, Liège, Walloon Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders. Flemish Brabant also ...
. In October 2014, she was elected to the Chamber of Representatives. In September 2015, minister of the budget Hervé Jamar announced that he would resign on 1 October 2015, because he was selected as the governor of the province of
Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...
. Wilmès was selected to succeed him in the
Michel I Government The Michel I Government was the Federal Government of Belgium formed following the 2014 Belgian government formation and sworn in on 11 October 2014. The administration was a centre-right coalition of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), the Christ ...
. In December 2018, she became Minister of Budget, Civil Service, National Lottery and Scientific Policy in the Michel II Government. On 27 October 2019, Wilmès became the first female
Prime Minister of Belgium The prime minister of Belgium (; ; ) or the premier of Belgium is the head of the federal government of Belgium, and the most powerful person in Belgian politics. The first head of government in Belgian history was Henri van der Noot in 179 ...
, succeeding
Charles Michel Charles Michel (; born 21 December 1975) is a Belgian politician who served as the president of the European Council from 2019 to 2024. He previously served as the Prime Minister of Belgium, prime minister of Belgium between 2014 and 2019. Miche ...
. She led a
caretaker government A caretaker government, also known as a caretaker regime, is a temporary ''ad hoc'' government that performs some governmental duties and functions in a country until a regular government is elected or formed. Depending on specific practice, it co ...
while negotiations proceeded to form a new coalition government. On 16 March 2020, with negotiations still underway after 15 months, all major parties agreed to grant full legislative powers to the Wilmès government in order to fight the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. Under the terms of the agreement, Wilmès was granted special powers to deal with the pandemic's economic and social impact. These powers were to last for three months, though they could be renewed once for an additional three months. Wilmès was officially nominated as prime minister by King Philippe later on 16 March, and her reshuffled executive government was sworn in the day after. On 1 October 2020, Wilmès was appointed
deputy prime minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...
and
foreign minister In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...
in the new government formed under
Alexander De Croo Alexander De Croo (; born 3 November 1975) is a Belgian politician and businessman who served as Prime Minister of Belgium from 2020 to 2025. Previously from 2012 to 2020, De Croo served as deputy prime minister in the governments of Elio Di Rup ...
, becoming the first female foreign minister in Belgian history. For a time beginning on 22 October 2020, she managed the country's foreign relations from her intensive care hospital bed as she suffered from
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
. It was noted by ''
Deutsche Welle (; "German Wave"), commonly shortened to DW (), is a German state-funded television network, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the Federal Government of Germany. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite tele ...
'' that "Wilmes tested positive for coronavirus" prior to 17 October "after attending an EU summit with her counterparts" at the
Europa building The Europa building is the seat of the European Council and Council of the European Union, located on the Rue de la Loi, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat in the Brussels and the European Union#European Quarter, European Quarter of Brussels, Belgium. It ...
in
Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
on 12 October, and 13 October. Her Austrian counterpart,
Alexander Schallenberg Alexander Georg Nicolas Schallenberg (; born 20 June 1969) is an Austrian diplomat, jurist, and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Austria), minister of foreign affairs from 2019 until 2025, briefly interrupted by a period ...
, also subsequently had a positive test. On 21 April 2022, Wilmès announced that she would temporarily take a leave of absence and hand over her government responsibilities to spend more time with her family as her husband had been diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour. Wilmès's responsibilities were shared out between the Prime Minister
Alexander De Croo Alexander De Croo (; born 3 November 1975) is a Belgian politician and businessman who served as Prime Minister of Belgium from 2020 to 2025. Previously from 2012 to 2020, De Croo served as deputy prime minister in the governments of Elio Di Rup ...
(foreign affairs), David Clarinval (foreign trade) and Mathieu Michel (federal cultural entities). On 14 July 2022, Wilmès resigned definitively as a member of the De Croo government, but she remained a member of parliament. On 24 January 2024, she is appointed leading candidate for the MR in the
European elections Elections to the European Parliament take place every five years by universal adult suffrage; with more than 400 million people eligible to vote, they are the second largest democratic elections in the world after India's. Until 2019, 751 ...
in place of Charles Michel, who had finally decided to withdraw his candidacy following a wave of criticism. She received more than half a million preferential votes, breaking the record for preferential votes in French-speaking Belgium. MR came out as the big winner in this election, well ahead of the PS, which had been given first place in the polls. In June 2024, Wilmès was considered for the presidency of
Renew Europe Renew Europe (or simply Renew) is a liberal, centrist to centre-right, pro-European political group of the European Parliament founded for the ninth European Parliament term. The group is the successor to the Alliance of Liberals and Dem ...
but she finally did not submit her candidacy, leaving the job to
Valérie Hayer Valérie Hayer (; born 6 April 1986) is a French jurist and politician who has been serving as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since 2019 in the Renew Europe. Since 2024, she has been leading the Renew Europe group in parliament. She ...
. On July 16, 2024, she was elected Vice-President of the European Parliament during the first round, with 371 votes.


Other activities

* Council of Women World Leaders, Member


Personal life

In 2002, Wilmès married Chris Stone, an Australian businessman and former
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
. They had three daughters: Victoria, Charlotte, and Elizabeth. Stone had a son, Jonathan, from a previous relationship. Shortly after the end of her term as prime minister, on 17 October 2020, she tweeted that she was
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
-positive. On 22 October, she was admitted to intensive care in stable condition. She was released from hospital on 30 October. In July 2022, Wilmès announced that she was stepping down from the government to care for her husband, who had been diagnosed with brain cancer. Her husband died from his illness on 24 November 2023.


References


External links

* , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilmes, Sophie 1975 births Living people 20th-century Belgian politicians 20th-century Belgian women politicians 21st-century Belgian women politicians Belgian Jews Female foreign ministers Deputy prime ministers of Belgium Foreign ministers of Belgium Government ministers of Belgium Jewish Belgian politicians Jewish prime ministers Reformist Movement politicians People from Ixelles Prime ministers of Belgium Women government ministers of Belgium Women prime ministers in Europe MEPs for Belgium 2024–2029 First women prime ministers