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Wilfried Martens
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Wilfried Martens
Wilfried Achiel Emma Martens (Dutch: [ˈʋɪlfrit ˈmɑrtəns] ⓘ; 19 April 1936 – 9 October 2013) was a Belgian politician who served as prime minister of Belgium from 1979 to 1992, except from April to December 1981. A member of the Flemish Christian People's Party, during his premiership he oversaw the transformation of Belgium into a federal state. He was one of the founders of the European People's Party.
During his time as prime minister, Martens led a series of centre-right and centre-left cabinets.
Martens was born on 19 April 1936 in the village of Sleidinge, East Flanders, the son of modest small farmers. He studied law at the Catholic University of Leuven, graduating in 1960. Martens became active in the Flemish Movement as a student. He began to draw public attention in 1957 when, as president of the Flemish Youth Committee, he organized a march to protest the lack of Flemish presence in the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, and was subsequently arrested while protesting the opening of the exposition.
In 1965, Martens joined the Christian People's Party or CD&V, (since renamed to Christian Democratic and Flemish). He served as the party's chairman from 1972 to 1979, sitting as a deputy in the Chamber of Representatives from 1974 to 1991, and serving as a Senator from 1991 to 1994.
Wilfried Martens served as Prime Minister in nine coalition governments (Martens I-IX) from 3 April 1979 to 6 April 1981 and 17 December 1981 to 7 March 1992. His period in office was dominated by the economic crisis of the 1980s and the state reforms of 1980 and 1988 which set Belgium on a path to federalism.
He co-founded the European People's Party (EPP) in 1976 and was EPP President from 1992 until his death.
From 1993, he was President of the European Union of Christian Democrats (EUCD), until its merger with the EPP in 1996. Martens also negotiated with Finnish politician Sauli Niinistö the merger of the European Democrat Union (EDU) into the EPP (formally concluded in 2002). The successful fusion of all centre-right European organisations into the EPP – currently the largest transnational European political party with 75 member-parties from 40 countries – is widely recognised as an important achievement of his European political legacy.
From 1994 to 1998, he was a Member of the European Parliament, chairing the EPP Group.
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Wilfried Martens
Wilfried Achiel Emma Martens (Dutch: [ˈʋɪlfrit ˈmɑrtəns] ⓘ; 19 April 1936 – 9 October 2013) was a Belgian politician who served as prime minister of Belgium from 1979 to 1992, except from April to December 1981. A member of the Flemish Christian People's Party, during his premiership he oversaw the transformation of Belgium into a federal state. He was one of the founders of the European People's Party.
During his time as prime minister, Martens led a series of centre-right and centre-left cabinets.
Martens was born on 19 April 1936 in the village of Sleidinge, East Flanders, the son of modest small farmers. He studied law at the Catholic University of Leuven, graduating in 1960. Martens became active in the Flemish Movement as a student. He began to draw public attention in 1957 when, as president of the Flemish Youth Committee, he organized a march to protest the lack of Flemish presence in the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, and was subsequently arrested while protesting the opening of the exposition.
In 1965, Martens joined the Christian People's Party or CD&V, (since renamed to Christian Democratic and Flemish). He served as the party's chairman from 1972 to 1979, sitting as a deputy in the Chamber of Representatives from 1974 to 1991, and serving as a Senator from 1991 to 1994.
Wilfried Martens served as Prime Minister in nine coalition governments (Martens I-IX) from 3 April 1979 to 6 April 1981 and 17 December 1981 to 7 March 1992. His period in office was dominated by the economic crisis of the 1980s and the state reforms of 1980 and 1988 which set Belgium on a path to federalism.
He co-founded the European People's Party (EPP) in 1976 and was EPP President from 1992 until his death.
From 1993, he was President of the European Union of Christian Democrats (EUCD), until its merger with the EPP in 1996. Martens also negotiated with Finnish politician Sauli Niinistö the merger of the European Democrat Union (EDU) into the EPP (formally concluded in 2002). The successful fusion of all centre-right European organisations into the EPP – currently the largest transnational European political party with 75 member-parties from 40 countries – is widely recognised as an important achievement of his European political legacy.
From 1994 to 1998, he was a Member of the European Parliament, chairing the EPP Group.
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