Yves Leterme
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Yves Leterme (Wervik, 6 October 1960) is the current prime minister of Flanders. At the same time, he also serves as Flemish Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Before entering national politics, Leterme served as an auditor at the Rekenhof. He then became adjunct and then national secretary of the CVP until he resigned to become a civil servant with the European Union. In 1997 he went on indefinate leave in that function when he was appointed Member of the Belgian Parliament. He is a member of the city council of Ieper since 1995. He served as alderman of Ieper from 1995 to 2001.
He was appointed to the Belgian House of Representatives in 1997, elected in 1999 and 2003. After the defeat of the CD&V in the general elections of 2003, he succeeded Stefaan De Clercq as party chairman. He served as chairman until he resigned after the regional elections of 2004 to become Flemish Prime Minister. In 2004 his party won the elections, thanks to success of the newly formed election cartel with the smaller seperatist party N-VA. Since 2004 he presides the Flemish government, that consist out of the three traditional Flemish parties (CD&V-N-VA, VLD, SP.A-Spirit) Due too this grand coalition Leterme faced some internal troubles and conflicts in his coalition.
Yves Leterme is known for his formal, business like style, that opposes the more voluntary style of the Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt. His style has made him very popular with the voters.