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Didier Reynders

Didier Reynders (French pronunciation: [didje ʁɛndɛʁs]; born 6 August 1958) is a Belgian politician and a member of the Mouvement Réformateur (MR) serving as European Commissioner for Justice since 2019. He held various positions in public institutions before becoming a member of the House in 1992. He was a minister without interruption from 1999 to 2019, until resigning to become Belgian European Commissioner.

Didier Reynders
Reynders in 2024
European Commissioner for Justice
In office
1 December 2019 – 1 December 2024 [a]
PresidentUrsula von der Leyen
Preceded byVěra Jourová
Succeeded byMichael McGrath
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
6 December 2011 – 30 November 2019
Prime MinisterElio Di Rupo
Charles Michel
Sophie Wilmès
Preceded bySteven Vanackere
Succeeded byPhilippe Goffin
Minister of Defence
In office
9 December 2018 – 30 November 2019
Prime MinisterCharles Michel
Sophie Wilmès
Preceded bySander Loones
Succeeded byPhilippe Goffin
Minister of Finance
In office
12 July 1999 – 6 December 2011
Prime MinisterGuy Verhofstadt
Yves Leterme
Herman Van Rompuy
Yves Leterme
Preceded byJean-Jacques Viseur
Succeeded bySteven Vanackere
Personal details
Born (1958-08-06) 6 August 1958 (age 66)
Liège, Belgium
Political partyReformist Movement
Other political
affiliations		Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party
EducationUniversity of Liège

He served as Federal Minister of Finance until December 2011 in six different governments, then Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade Foreign Affairs and European Affairs in two governments. Following the government crisis of December 2018, he was also appointed to the post of Minister of Defense until November 2019.[2][3]

Early life and education

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Reynders was born in Liège as the youngest in a family of three children. He studied law at the University of Liège.

Early career

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Reynders began his career as a lawyer in 1981, before serving as Chairman of the National Railway Company of Belgium from 1986 to 1991.[4]

Political career

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Minister of Finance (1999–2011)

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Reynders served as Minister of Finance from 1999 to 2011; in 2002, he chaired the G-10 which is the meeting of the main creditor states (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States).[5]

Reynders became Deputy Prime Minister in 2004, in the government of Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt. He was the chairman of the Mouvement Réformateur from 2004 to 2011.

Reynders led the MR to a victory in the 2007 general elections, with the MR becoming the largest Francophone party of Belgium. The King appointed Reynders as informateur, i.e. to start off the informal coalition talks for a new federal government.[6]

Stalemate followed the 2010 general election. The King appointed a succession of people to negotiate a coalition from June 2010 onwards, but none succeeded in the task of forming a new government during the following seven months. Reynders was appointed informateur by the King on 2 February 2011. He reported on 16 February 2011, and his brief was extended through 1 March 2011.

Minister of Foreign Affairs (2011–2019)

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Following the appointment of Elio Di Rupo as new Belgian Prime Minister in December 2011, Reynders became Minister of Foreign Affairs. During his tenure, Belgium was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (2019–2020), as well as of the United Nations Human Rights Council (2016–2018).

Minister of Defence (2018–2019)

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After the ruling coalition collapsed in 2019, Reynders also held responsibility for the defense portfolio.[7] Following an inconclusive election in May 2019, King Philippe asked Reynders and Johan Vande Lanotte to look into the conditions required for forming a coalition government.[8]

In 2019, Reynders announced his candidacy to succeed Thorbjørn Jagland as Secretary General of the Council of Europe;[9] the position instead went to Marija Pejčinović Burić.

European Commissioner for Justice (2019–present)

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Reynders meets with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a bilateral meeting in Lisbon, 22 June 2021

In the summer of 2019, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel put Reynders forward as the Belgian nominee for the incoming European Commission. President-elect Ursula von der Leyen nominated him for the Justice portfolio. Reynders' hearing at the European Parliament was held in September 2019 and his nomination was approved by a large majority. He took office on 1 December 2019.

In 2020, Reynders announced plans to develop a legislative proposal by 2021 requiring businesses to carry out due diligence in relation to the potential human rights and environmental impacts of their operations and supply chains.[10]

A 2022 report stated that Reynders was one of at least five senior EU officials targeted by Israeli spyware in 2021.[11]

In September 2023, Reynders was temporarily assigned by von der Leyen the European Commission's competition portfolio following outgoing European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager’s announcement that she was officially a candidate for the presidency of the European Investment Bank.[12]

In January 2024, Reynders again became the Belgian government's candidate for the position as Secretary General of the Council of Europe, this time competing with Alain Berset and Indrek Saar.[13] Berset won the vote by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 25 June 2024 with 114 votes to 46 votes for Reynders and 85 for Saar.[14]

In September 2024, the Belgian Government appointed Hadja Lahbib to succede Reynders as the Belgian Commissioner in the European Commission, formally ending Reynders's tenure in the Von der Leyen's Commission.[15]

Other activities

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International organisations

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Non-profit organisations

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Controversies

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Political activities

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In 2015, Reynders drew criticism for having his face painted black during a traditional festival in Brussels.[19]

In April 2017, Belgium voted in favour of the entry of Saudi Arabia, yet considered one of the most retrograde countries on the issue of women's rights, in the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. This decision raised controversy and questions about the role of Reynders.[20]

Criminal investigation

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In September 2019, Belgian police investigated allegations of corruption and money-laundering against Reynders, relating to the construction of the Belgian embassy building in Kinshasa, the lease of a federal police HQ and other matters.[21] The investigation was dropped soon after.[22]

Honours

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National honours

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Foreign honours

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Notes

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  1. ^ Věra Jourová served as acting commissioner during Reynders's leave between 15 April – 25 June 2024.[1]

References

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  1. ^ Goujard, Clothilde (15 April 2024). "Věra Jourová to Step in as EU Justice Chief". Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  2. ^ http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/mopdf/2008/03/21_2.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  3. ^ "6 questions with Didier Reynders, Belgium's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister - Affairs Today". 16 February 2015. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015.
  4. ^ "Curriculum vitae of Minister Didier Reynders". Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  5. ^ HEC Europe Symposium: Didier Reynders HEC Europe Institute, Paris.
  6. ^ "King picks Mr Reynders as "informateur"". VRT Nieuws. 13 June 2007. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  7. ^ Simon Van Dorpe (24 August 2019), Belgium picks Foreign Minister Didier Reynders to be EU commissioner Politico Europe.
  8. ^ Foo Yun Chee (30 May 2019), Belgian king appoints two advisers to find path toward coalition government Reuters.
  9. ^ Election of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe: Candidatures received Council of Europe, press release of 11 January 2019.
  10. ^ Norton Rose Fulbright, Proposal for an EU-wide mandatory human rights due diligence law, published May 2020, accessed 7 March 2021
  11. ^ Satter, Raphael; Bing, Christopher (11 April 2022). "Exclusive: Senior EU officials were targeted with Israeli spyware". Reuters. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  12. ^ GV De Clercq and Marie Mannes (5 September 2023), EU's Reynders says will take over commission's competition portfolio Reuters.
  13. ^ Barbara Moens and Clothilde Goujard (24 January 2024), Belgium’s Didier Reynders walks fine ethics line in top job campaign Politico Europe.
  14. ^ "Alain Berset elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe". Council of Europe. 25 June 2024.
  15. ^ "Belgium appoints FM Hadja Lahbib as EU commissioner". POLITICO. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  16. ^ 2005 Annual Report Asian Development Bank (ADB).
  17. ^ 2005 Annual Report European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
  18. ^ Members European Council on Foreign Relations.
  19. ^ Belgium's Reynders criticised for painting face black BBC News, 19 March 2015.
  20. ^ "Arabie saoudite et droit des femmes à l'ONU: Charles Michel regrette le "oui" belge". Le Soir.
  21. ^ Arthur Neslen (14 September 2019), Didier Reynders, Belgium’s Commission pick, under police investigation Politico Europe.
  22. ^ Simon van Dorpe (27 September 2019), Belgian prosecutors drop investigation into Didier Reynders Politico Europe.
  23. ^ arrêtés royaux du 21 mai 2014
  24. ^ "Nicolas Sarkozy a remis la Légion d'honneur à Didier Reynders". 27 March 2013.
  25. ^ "Belgieninfo – Didier Reynders mit Bundesverdienstkreuz ausgezeichnet". www.belgieninfo.net. 10 July 2014.
  26. ^ "La Chambre des représentants de Belgique". www.dekamer.be. Archived from the original on 1 December 2016.
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  Media related to Didier Reynders at Wikimedia Commons

Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Finance
1999–2011 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Foreign Affairs
2011–2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Defence
2018–2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Belgian European Commissioner
2019–present 		Incumbent
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