Steven Vanackere

Who is Steven Vanackere?

Steven Vanackere, born on 4 February 1964 in Wevelgem, Belgium, is a Flemish politician and member of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party. He held the portfolios of Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Institutional Reform in the Leterme II government.

On 7 January 2014, CD&V designated Steven Vanackere as its third-placed candidate, behind serving MEPs Marianne Thyssen and Ivo Belet, on its list for the European Parliament elections in May 2014. It had been considered unlikely by commentators that he would accept this challenge as initially when it was offered to him in December 2013, he had indicated his disappointment and seemed set to reject it, saying this would probably mark the end of his political career, given the perceived upward struggle facing CD&V in retaining its third seat in the new post-2014-election configuration of the European Parliament, both in view of the fact that Belgium's Flemish parties will have one fewer seat in the new Parliament and the increase in popularity of the New Flemish Alliance since the previous European Parliament elections.