Minister of Defence (Belgium)
The Ministry of Defence (Dutch: Ministerie van Landsverdediging, French: Ministère de la Défense, German: Ministerium der Verteidigung), formerly called the Ministry of War and Ministry of National Defence, is the Belgian ministry responsible for national defence and the Belgian military.
As a result of the Verhofstadt I Government's plans to modernise the federal administration, all other ministries were transformed into Federal Public Services (FPS), but in August 2007 there still was no Royal Order creating the FPS Defence, although that name is already in use on official websites. The Ministry of Defence is responsible to the Minister of Defence, Pieter de Crem (Christian Democratic and Flemish).
The Chief of Defence (CHOD) is the highest official in the Ministry of Defence. General August Van Daele is the Chief of Defence since 1 January 2003. The CHOD is assisted in the exercise of his functions by a Vice-Chief of Defence (VCHOD) and a Secretary-General.
The Ministry of Defence is organised into multiple staff departments and directorates-general. The Armed Forces are subordinate to the Assistant Chief of Staff (ACOS) Operations and Training, who heads the Staff Department for Operations and Training. He is assisted by two Deputy Assistant Chiefs of Staff (DACOS), one for Operations and Planning and one for Training and Support.
Another staff department is the Staff Department for Intelligence and Security, which is led by the ACOS Intelligence and Security. This staff department is also known as the General Intelligence and Security Service and is responsible for military intelligence and security.
Ministers of Defence
| Year | Minister | Party |
|---|---|---|
| 1831 | Albert Goblet d'Alviella | Liberal |
| 1831 | Charles d'Hane de Steenhuyze | Liberal |
| 1831 | V. de Failly | Liberal |
| 1831–1832 | Charles de Brouckère | Liberal |
| 1832 | Félix de Merode | Liberal |
| 1832–1836 | Louis Evain | ? |
| 1836–1840 | Jean-Pierre Willmar | Liberal |
| 1840–1842 | Gérard Buzen | Liberal |
| 1842–1843 | Henri de Liem | Liberal |
| 1843 | Léandre Desmaisières | Liberal |
| 1843–1846 | Pierre Dupont | Liberal |
| 1846 | Jules Joseph d'Anethan | Catholic |
| 1846–1847 | Albert Prisse | Catholic |
| 1847–1850 | Félix Chazal | Liberal |
| 1850–1851 | Mathieu Brialmont | Liberal |
| 1851–1855 | Victor Anoul | Liberal |
| 1855–1857 | Léonard Greindl | ? |
| 1857–1859 | Edouard Berten | Liberal |
| 1859–1866 | Félix Chazal | Liberal |
| 1866–1868 | Auguste Goethals | Liberal |
| 1868–1870 | Bruno Renard | None (technical expert) |
| 1870–1873 | Henri Guillaume | None (technical expert) |
| 1873–1878 | Séraphin Thiebault | None (technical expert) |
| 1878–1879 | Bruno Renard | None (technical expert) |
| 1879–1880 | Jean-Baptiste Liagre | None (technical expert) |
| 1880–1884 | Guillaume Gratry | None (technical expert) |
| 1884–1893 | Charles Pontus | None (technical expert) |
| 1893–1896 | Jacques Brassine | None (technical expert) |
| 1896–1899 | Jules Vandenpeereboom | Catholic |
| 1899–1907 | Alexandre Cousebandt d'Alkemade | None (technical expert) |
| 1907–1912 | Joseph Hellebaut | None (technical expert) |
| 1912 | Charles de Broqueville | Catholic |
| 1912 | Victor Michel | None (technical expert) |
| 1912–1917 | Charles de Broqueville | Catholic |
| 1917–1918 | Armand De Ceuninck | None (technical expert) |
| 1918–1920 | Fulgence Masson | Liberal |
| 1920 | Paul-Emile Janson | Liberal |
| 1920–1923 | Albert Devèze | Liberal |
| 1923–1925 | Pierre Forthomme | Liberal |
| 1925 | Albert Hellebaut | None (technical expert) |
| 1925–1926 | Prosper Kestens | None (technical expert) |
| 1926 | Prosper Poullet | Catholic |
| 1926–1931 | Charles de Broqueville | Catholic |
| 1931–1932 | Léon Dens | Liberal |
| 1932 | Paul Crokaert | Catholic |
| 1932 | Georges Theunis | Catholic |
| 1932–1936 | Albert Devèze | Liberal |
| 1936–1940 | Henri Denis | None (technical expert) |
| 1940–1944 | Hubert Pierlot | Catholic |
| *1942 | Henri Rolin | POB-BWP |
| 1944–1945 | Fernand Demets | Liberal |
| 1945–1946 | Léon Mundeleer | Liberal |
| 1946–1949 | Raoul de Fraiteur | None (technical expert) |
| 1949–1950 | Albert Devèze | Liberal |
| 1950 | Henri Moreau de Melen | Christian Social Party |
| 1950–1954 | Eugène De Greef | None (technical expert) |
| 1954–1958 | Antoon Spinoy | PSB-BSP |
| 1958–1961 | Arthur Gilson | Christian Social Party |
| 1961–1965 | Paul-Willem Segers | CVP |
| 1965–1966 | Ludovic Moyersoen | CVP |
| 1966–1968 | Charles Poswick | PLP |
| 1968–1972 | Paul-Willem Segers | CVP |
| 1972–1979 | Paul Vanden Boeynants | PSC |
| 1979–1980 | José Desmarets | PSC |
| 1980 | Charles Poswick | PRL |
| 1980–1981 | Frank Swaelen | CVP |
| 1981–1985 | Alfred Vreven | PVV |
| 1985–1988 | François-Xavier de Donnéa | PRL |
| 1988–1992 | Guy Coëme | PS |
| 1992–1994 | Leo Delcroix | CVP |
| 1994–1995 | Karel Pinxten | CVP |
| 1995 | Melchior Wathelet | PSC |
| 1995–1999 | Jean-Pol Poncelet | PSC |
| 1999–2007 | André Flahaut | PS |
| 2007-2014 | Pieter De Crem | CD&V |
| 2014-current | Steven Vandeput | NVA |
See also
External links
- (Dutch) (French) Website of Defence Belgium