Herman De Croo

Who is Herman De Croo?

Herman Francies Joseph De Croo is a Belgian liberal politician. He is a member of the Open VLD. First elected in March 1968, he is the longest serving Belgian Member of Parliament. He is the father of Open VLD Minister of Pensions and Deputy Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

He obtained a doctorate in law from the Université Libre de Bruxelles in 1961. With a Fulbright scholarship he attended University of Chicago Law School.

From 1999 until July 2007 De Croo was the President of the Chamber of Representatives, the lower house of the country's Federal Parliament. He is the current mayor of Brakel.

De Croo was first elected to the Chamber of Representatives in 1968 for the PVV-PLP. He has since served in various governments as minister of Transport and Foreign Trade; minister of Transport, Postal Services, Telegraphy and Telephony; minister of Education and minister of Postal Services, Telegraphy, Telephony and Pensions.

Herman De Croo, who holds a Ph.D. in law, is a former Professor of Common Law at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

He holds the honorary title of Minister of State since 3 June 1998.