85-517: Yves Camille Désiré Leterme ( Dutch: [ˈiːf ləˈtɛrmə] ; born 6 October 1960) is a Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party (CD&V). He was the prime minister of Belgium from March 2008 to December 2008, and later from November 2009 to December 2011. Leterme has also served as minister of Foreign Affairs, deputy prime minister and minister of Budget, Institutional Reforms, Transport and
170-665: A BSc degree in Political Science (1983), a LL.M. degree (1984), and a MPA degree in 1985. Before entering national politics, Leterme served as an auditor at the country's Court of Audit ( Dutch : Rekenhof , French: Cour des Comptes ). He then became adjunct and then national secretary of the Christian People's Party until he resigned to become a civil servant with the European Union . In 1997, he went on indefinite leave from that position when he
255-417: A drop had been spilt, if never a life had been lost in defence of Ypres still would Ypres have been hallowed, if only for the hopes and the courage it has inspired and the scenes of valour and sacrifice it has witnessed. Ypres became a pilgrimage destination for Britons to imagine and share the sufferings of their men and gain a spiritual benefit. After the war, Winston Churchill proposed to leave Ypres as
340-403: A few miles of ground won by Allied forces. During the course of the war the town was all but obliterated by the artillery fire. English-speaking soldiers often referred to Ieper/Ypres by the deliberate mispronunciation "Wipers". British soldiers even published a wartime newspaper called The Wipers Times . The same style of deliberate mispronunciation was applied to other Flemish place names in
425-475: A governing coalition . Leterme remained as caretaker prime minister, but on 13 September 2011 announced that he would leave the post by the end of the year to take up the position of Deputy Secretary-General at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development . On 6 December 2011 Leterme was finally succeeded as prime minister by Elio Di Rupo , ending the longest run of a caretaker government in
510-524: A landslide victory. This was the second highest number of personal votes ever in Belgium's national elections. On 21 December 2007, he became Vice-Prime Minister of Belgium and Minister of Budget, Transport, Institutional Reform and the North Sea. On 23 March, Leterme received confidence of the chamber as prime minister. Many French-speaking journalists have taken offence at Leterme's political opinions on
595-578: A mausoleum, with the rightful owners to be deprived from regaining their land. By early March 1919, the Belgian scheme was to leave the Cathedral and Cloth Hall and the buildings around them in ruins. By November 1919, the Belgian government was seriously considering two schemes, both of which would have kept the Cloth Hall and the Cathedral in ruins, but one scheme would allow rebuilding houses around
680-676: A national level. Walloons are a French -speaking people who live in Belgium , principally in Wallonia . Walloons are a distinctive community within Belgium, important historical and anthropological criteria (religion, language, traditions, folklore) bind Walloons to the French people . More generally, the term also refers to the inhabitants of the Walloon Region . They may speak regional languages such as Walloon (with Picard in
765-567: A number of paid and unpaid positions: In 2019, Leterme became co-chairman of the board of directors of the Chinese investment fund ToJoy, alongside the former Serbian president Boris Tadić and José María Figueres , former president of Costa Rica . The appointment was criticized by international relations professor Jonathan Holslag , citing the close relations between ToJoy and the Chinese political establishment. On 29 November 2008, President of Lebanon Michel Sleiman discussed with Leterme
850-568: A population of 10,839,905 people on 1 January 2010, an increase of 601,000 in comparison to 2000 (10,239,085 inhabitants). Between 1990 (9,947,782 inhabitants) and 2000 the increase was only 291,000. The population of Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels on 1 January 2010 was 6,251,983 (57.7%), 3,498,384 (32.3%) and 1,089,538 (10.1%), respectively. Ypres Ypres ( / ˈ iː p r ə / EE -prə , French: [ipʁ] ; Dutch : Ieper [ˈipər] ; West Flemish : Yper ; German : Ypern [ˈyːpɐn] )
935-637: A spiritual quest in which British and imperial troops were purified by their sacrifice. In 1920, Lieutenant-Colonel Beckles Willson 's guide book, The Holy Ground of British Arms captured the mood of the Ypres League: There is not a single half-acre in Ypres that is not sacred. There is not a single stone which has not sheltered scores of loyal young hearts, whose one impulse and desire was to fight and, if need be, to die for England. Their blood has drenched its cloisters and its cellars, but if never
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#17327764475131020-566: Is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders . Though the Dutch name Ieper is the official one, the city's French name Ypres is most commonly used in English. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres/Ieper and the villages of Boezinge , Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge , Hollebeke , Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge , Voormezele, Zillebeke , and Zuidschote. Together, they are home to about 34,900 inhabitants. During
1105-518: Is a small city in the very western part of Belgium, the so-called Westhoek . Ypres these days has the title of "city of peace" and maintains a close friendship with another town on which war had a profound impact: Hiroshima . Both towns witnessed warfare at its worst: Ypres was one of the first places where chemical warfare was employed , while Hiroshima suffered the debut of nuclear warfare . The city governments of Ypres and Hiroshima advocate that cities should never be targets again and campaign for
1190-580: Is also a substantial Belgian diaspora, which has settled primarily in the United States, Canada, France, and the Netherlands. The 1830 revolution led to the establishment of an independent country under a provisional government and a national congress . The name "Belgium" was adopted for the country, the word being derived from Gallia Belgica , a Roman province in the northernmost part of Gaul that, before Roman invasion in 100 BC,
1275-475: Is an historic city, and generates significant income from tourism, it also has a number of industrial areas. The biggest one is along the Ieperlee canal, which hosts room for around 120 companies and a wind farm in the north of Ypres. The office area known as Ieper Business Park is connected to the industrial area. That office area started as the site of speech recognition company Lernout & Hauspie , and
1360-457: Is common for business, social and family networks to include members of the various ethnic groups composing Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region occupies a unique political and cultural position since geographically and linguistically it is a bilingual enclave within the unilingual Flemish Region. Since the founding of the Kingdom of Belgium in 1830, the city of Brussels was francized , as it
1445-495: Is currently the only Asian country receiving preferential development aid from the Belgian government for the 2007–2010 period, in the amount of 32 million euro (US$ 45 million). In 2008, two-way trade reached nearly $ 1.4 billion and Belgium is now Vietnam's fourth largest export market among EU countries. Leterme is known to be very fond of goats. He breeds goats in his private time in the small farm where he lives. In November 2010
1530-713: The Australian War Memorial in Canberra . In 2017, for the 100th anniversary memorial services of the Third Battle of Ypres, or Passendale , in a joint effort by the Belgian, Flemish and Australian governments, the lions were temporarily returned to the Menin Gate. Exact replicas are now installed, in their original position, guarding the approach to Menin Gate on its eastern side. War graves, both of
1615-673: The Dutch-speakers (called the Flemish ) and the French-speakers (mostly Walloons ), as well as a third tiny but constitutionally recognized group from two small German-speaking areas. These sometimes competing ethnic and linguistic priorities are governed by constitutionally designated "regions or communities" , depending on the constitutional realm of the topic, a complex and uniquely Belgian political construct. Since many Belgians are at least bilingual, or even trilingual, it
1700-624: The First World War , Ypres (or "Wipers" as it was commonly known by the British troops ) was the centre of the Battles of Ypres between German and Allied forces. Ypres is an ancient town, known to have been raided by the Romans in the first century BC. It is first mentioned by name in 1066 and is probably named after the river Ieperlee on the banks of which it was founded. During
1785-703: The Kingdom of Belgium , a federal state in Western Europe . As Belgium is a multinational state , this connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural rather than ethnic. The majority of Belgians, however, belong to two distinct linguistic groups or communities (Dutch: gemeenschap ; French: communauté ) native to the country, i.e. its historical regions: Flemings in Flanders , who speak Dutch , West Flemish and Limburgish ; and Walloons in Wallonia , who speak French or Walloon . There
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#17327764475131870-669: The Middle Ages , Ypres was a prosperous Flemish city with a population of 40,000 in 1200 AD, renowned for its linen trade with England, which was mentioned in the Canterbury Tales . As the third largest city in the County of Flanders (after Ghent and Bruges ), Ypres played an important role in the history of the textile industry. Textiles from Ypres could be found in the markets of Novgorod in Kievan Rus' in
1955-653: The Netherlands most of these cultural and linguistic boundaries quickly fade, as the Flemish share the same language, similar or identical customs and (though only with the southern part of today's Netherlands) traditional religion with the Dutch . However, the popular perception of being a single polity varies greatly, depending on subject matter, locality and personal background. Generally, Flemings will seldom identify themselves as being Dutch and vice versa, especially on
2040-464: The North Sea in the Belgian federal government . He is a former minister-president of Flanders and Flemish minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. Despite his French name , Leterme is Flemish . He is fluent in Dutch , French and English . On 14 July 2008, facing the imminent failure to meet a self-imposed deadline to enact "constitutional reform" consisting of further devolution of powers to
2125-841: The Ypres Salient into the German lines on the surrounding hills. In the First Battle of Ypres (19 October to 22 November 1914), the Allies captured the town from the Germans. The Germans had used tear gas at the Battle of Bolimov on 3 January 1915. Their use of poison gas for the first time on 22 April 1915 marked the beginning of the Second Battle of Ypres , which continued until 25 May 1915. They captured high ground east of
2210-651: The Allied retreat to Dunkirk. Adolf Hitler (later Chancellor of Germany ) fought at Ypres in the First World War and later visited the town during the Battle of France . On 12 February 1920, King George V awarded the Military Cross to the City of Ypres, one of only two awards of this decoration to a municipality during World War I, the other being to Verdun . In May 1920 Field Marshal French presented
2295-573: The Allied side and the Central Powers, cover the landscape around Ypres. The largest number of dead are at Langemark German war cemetery and Tyne Cot Commonwealth war cemetery . The countryside around Ypres is featured in the famous poem by John McCrae , In Flanders Fields . Saint George's Memorial Church commemorates the British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in the five battles fought for Ypres during First World War. Though Ypres
2380-522: The Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad had some more news about Yves' favourite animals: two of his favourite goats, named Trudy and Vicky, were to appear in a play by the local theatre society of Ypres. The play is called 'Island of the goats'. In an interview Yves called goats "The poor man's cow." Belgians Belgians ( Dutch : Belgen [ˈbɛlɣə(n)] ; French : Belges [bɛlʒ] ; German : Belgier [ˈbɛlɡi̯ɐ] ) are people identified with
2465-519: The Belgians declaring themselves to be Catholics. However, by 2004, nationwide Sunday church attendance was only about 4 to 8% (9% for Flanders only). A 2006 inquiry in Flanders , long considered more religious than the Brussels or Wallonia regions in Belgium , showed 55% of its inhabitants calling themselves religious, while 36% said that they believed that God created the world. Belgium had
2550-685: The Concentra newspapers by denouncing the RTBF for having its own political agenda, being a propagandist for CDH politician Joëlle Milquet and being a relic of the past. Leterme further compared the broadcaster to Radio Mille Collines , which was a Rwandan propaganda outlet against the Tutsis during the Rwandan genocide , though he later mentioned he had only quoted what was said in political circles. On 6 May 2007, he officially launched his candidacy for
2635-606: The Cross in a special ceremony in the city, and in 1925 it was added to the city's coat of arms, along with the French Croix de Guerre . Historian Mark Connelly states that in the 1920s, British veterans set up the Ypres League and made the city the symbol of all that they believed Britain was fighting for and gave it a holy aura in their minds. The Ypres League sought to transform the horrors of trench warfare into
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2720-568: The First World War heritage in and around Ypres. On September 6, 1944, the 1st Polish Armoured Division liberated the town of Ypres after four years of occupation, and the nightly ' Last Post ' ceremony was resumed at the Menin Gate ; the Germans had forbidden the ceremony when they occupied Ypres in 1940; from January 1941 until the liberation, the daily commemoration took place in Brookwood Military Cemetery . After
2805-468: The Flemish government. Flanders has fared well during his term in office. Yves Leterme took a pragmatic course of increasing the economic dynamic and social wellbeing in Flanders. He has made the Flemish government into the 'investment government', focusing the investments on the infrastructure and logistics with respect to both the business climate and social wellbeing (notably Flanders Port Area, homes for
2890-488: The Flemish parliament, unlike federal legislation, does not need the king's signature to become law. The Flemish Minister-President signs the decrees himself. On one occasion, Leterme quipped that the only things common to all Belgians are "the King, the football team, some beers...". Upon being asked by a television journalist to name which event is commemorated by Belgium's national day (21 July), Leterme wrongly replied that it
2975-754: The French to capture the city in the 1794 Siege of Ypres during the War of the First Coalition . In 1850, the Ypresian Age of the Eocene Epoch was named on the basis of geology in the region by Belgian geologist André Hubert Dumont . Ypres had long been fortified to keep out invaders. Parts of the early ramparts, dating from 1385, still survive near the Rijselpoort (Lille Gate). Over time,
3060-492: The Gate. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid Dick , was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927. It was built and is maintained by The Commonwealth War Graves Commission . The memorial's location is especially poignant, as it lies on the eastward route from the town, which Entente soldiers would have taken heading towards the fighting – many never to return. Every evening since 1929, at precisely eight o'clock, traffic around
3145-687: The German-speaking community in Belgium: Bleiberg - Welkenraat - Baelen in Northeastern province of Liège and Arelerland (city of Arlon and some of its nearby villages in Southeastern province of Belgian Luxembourg ). However, in these localities, the German language is highly endangered due to the adoption of French . Roman Catholicism has traditionally been Belgium's majority religion, with approximately 65% of
3230-591: The Grand Place, whereas the other would have created a belt of trees surrounding the Hall and Cathedral. By early September 1920, the decision had been made by the British Government that the Menin Gate and its immediate surroundings would be used as a memorial, by which time, the Belgians had already begun to rebuild the area. In the 100th anniversary period more attempts were being made to preserve
3315-546: The King after the appointed mediator Didier Reynders failed in his task and a general election was held in June 2010. Due to the longitivity of the negotiations for the government formation , Leterme headed a caretaker government for 589 days—the longest-such run for a developed country—until Elio di Rupo was finally appointed prime minister in December 2011. After Elio Di Rupo succeeded him as prime minister, Leterme took up
3400-537: The King on 1 December, after coalition talks failed to reach an agreement on several issues. An interim government under Guy Verhofstadt was sworn in on 21 December 2007. In it, Leterme became deputy prime minister and Minister of the Budget, Institutional Reform, and Transport. He was anticipated to become prime minister in a new government in March 2008. Belgium's political uncertainty further deepened when Yves Leterme
3485-672: The Lebanese domestic situation and its foreign relations, particularly its relations with Syria . Leterme started a two-day visit to Vietnam Tuesday 11 August 2009 to boost bilateral and multifaceted co-operation between the two countries. It was his first official visit to Vietnam since Leterme took up his post as foreign minister the previous month. Leterme met with Vietnamese officials to strengthen bilateral relations and co-operation in several sectors including politics, economics, and trade and investment, as well as discussed regional and global issues that are of interest to both sides. Vietnam
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3570-615: The OECD." And so after winning the election, Leterme remained active at international level, and third runner up in the party, Jan Durnez became mayor of Ypres instead. In 2014, Leterme became secretary-general of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA). On 7 March 2016 he announced his definitive departure from political life as he did not see himself able to combine it anymore with his international career. He has since taken on
3655-588: The West and Gaumais in the South). Though roughly three-quarters of Belgium's French speakers live in Wallonia, French-speaking residents of Brussels tend not to identify as Walloons. The German-speaking Community of Belgium is one of the three constitutionally recognized federal communities of Belgium . Covering an area of less than 1,000 km within the province of Liège in Wallonia , it includes nine of
3740-573: The Ypres area for the benefit of British troops, such as Wytschaete becoming "White Sheet" and Ploegsteert becoming "Plug Street". Ypres was one of the sites that hosted an unofficial Christmas Truce in 1914 between German and British soldiers. During World War Two, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) would fight the Germans in a delaying action at the Ypres-Comines Canal , one of the actions that allowed
3825-459: The abolition of nuclear weapons. Ypres hosts the international campaign secretariat of Mayors for Peace , an international Mayoral organization mobilizing cities and citizens worldwide to abolish and eliminate nuclear weapons by 2020. The imposing Cloth Hall was built in the 13th century and was one of the largest commercial buildings of the Middle Ages. The structure which stands today is
3910-430: The administrative status of the districts of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde . He set a deadline of 15 July 2008 to accomplish these goals. The deadline was not met. On 15 July 2008, King Albert II issued a communiqué that Leterme had offered his resignation to the king, and that the king was reserving his decision on whether to accept the resignation. The next day, the king held consultations with the leaders of political parties,
3995-481: The belief that this would get rid of evil demons. Today, this act is commemorated with a triennial Cat Parade through town. During the Norwich Crusade , led by the English bishop Henry le Despenser , Ypres was besieged from May to August 1383, until French relief forces arrived. After the destruction of Thérouanne , Ypres became the seat of the new Diocese of Ypres in 1561, and Saint Martin's Church
4080-447: The coalition seeking process, presented his final report to the King. Later that day, King Albert II again appointed Leterme as formateur . On 7 November, his party took the initiative and got the Flemish representatives to vote on the most crucial aspect of the negotiations, the splitting of the electoral region of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde , a measure strongly opposed by the Francophone community. Leterme again offered his resignation to
4165-410: The developed world. The following day he was appointed to the honorary title of Minister of State . Yves Leterme was born on 6 October 1960 in the city of Wervik in the province of West Flanders . He is half-Walloon, and grew up fluently bilingual. He studied law at the Catholic University of Leuven where he received a LL.B. degree in 1981 and then studied at Ghent University where he obtained
4250-442: The early 12th century. In 1241, a major fire ruined much of the old city. The powerful city was involved in important treaties and battles, including the Battle of the Golden Spurs , the Battle at Mons-en-Pévèle, the Peace of Melun , and the Battle of Cassel . The famous Cloth Hall was built in the 13th century. Also during this time cats, then the symbol of the devil and witchcraft, were thrown off Cloth Hall, possibly because of
4335-422: The earthworks were replaced by sturdier masonry and earth structures and a partial moat . Ypres was further fortified in the 17th and 18th centuries while under the occupation of the Habsburgs and the French. Major works were completed at the end of the 17th century by the French military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban . Ypres occupied a strategic position during the First World War because it stood in
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#17327764475134420-442: The elderly, child care, and immigrant integration). To accelerate investment he has successfully encouraged the use of the PPP structures. Additionally, Yves Leterme's government implemented rigorous budgeting – his government started with a sizeable implicit debt in Flanders which has been reduced to zero as the result of his policies. In the elections held on 10 June 2007, Leterme received 796,521 personal votes, leading his party to
4505-567: The eleven municipalities of the so-called East Cantons and the local population numbers over 73,000 – less than 1% of the national total. Bordering the Netherlands , Germany and Luxembourg , the area has its own parliament and government at Eupen . The German-speaking community is composed of the German-speaking parts of the lands that were annexed in 1920 from Germany. In addition, in contemporary Belgium there are also some other German-speaking areas that belonged to Belgium even before 1920, but they are not currently considered officially part of
4590-517: The employers' association, and trades unions. By the end of the day, it was still not resolved whether Leterme would actually be departing from the prime ministership. Leterme declared, "It appears that the [language] communities' conflicting visions of how to give a new equilibrium to our state have become incompatible . . . state reform remains essential". Along with his counterparts in the Netherlands and Luxembourg , Leterme decided to nationalise ailing financial-services company Fortis . The company
4675-424: The exact copy of the original medieval building, rebuilt after the war. The belfry that surmounts the hall houses a 49-bell carillon . The whole complex was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. The Gothic -style Saint Martin's Cathedral , built in 1221, was also completely reconstructed after the war, but now with a higher spire. It houses the tombs of Jansenius , bishop of Ypres and father of
4760-421: The formation of the new government was announced. Leterme was sworn in as prime minister on 20 March, and his government was approved by the Chamber of Representatives on 22 March, with 97 votes in favour, 48 against, and one abstaining. For Leterme, priority issues were still further devolution of power to Belgium's regions, which would require amending the national constitution, and resolving dissatisfaction with
4845-438: The general election on 10 June 2007, leading his party's list of candidates. On election day, he received about 800,000 preferential votes, the second largest number of votes ever gained in the history of Belgian elections. This was one of the greatest monster tallies in recent Belgian history (the previous comparable score was obtained by Leo Tindemans ). Based on this personal tally, on the successful tally of his party, and on
4930-442: The general election tallies which saw progress for most parties making the strongest demands for greater Flemish autonomy, such as CD&V, New-Flemish Alliance and the new Lijst Dedecker (LDD), status quo for the left-wing Greens, and regression for the far right Vlaams Belang and parties making only modest demands for greater Flemish autonomy, such as OpenVLD and Socialist Party - Different . Leterme as formateur convened
5015-417: The heavy fighting still underway in other parts of the town. The Last Post ceremony was, instead, hosted daily at Brookwood Military Cemetery in England for the duration of that period. The stone lions bearing the Ypres coat-of-arms, which once flanked the original gate , were presented to Australia in 1936 by the people of Belgium, as acknowledgement of Australia's sacrifice during the war. They now reside in
5100-463: The idea was that many French speakers would adjust to the new linguistic reality. But apparently the French speakers are intellectually not capable of learning Dutch. Most prominent Francophone politicians such as Elio Di Rupo and Isabelle Durant along with some Flemish politicians such as Pascal Smet and Guy Vanhengel objected to this remark. In the Flemish daily De Standaard of 28 August Leterme explained his words: "I am allowed to ask myself
5185-414: The imposing arches of the Menin Gate Memorial has been stopped while the " Last Post " is sounded beneath the gate by the buglers of the Last Post Association in honour of the memory of British Empire soldiers who fought and died there. During the Second World War the ceremony was prohibited by the occupying German forces, but was resumed on the very evening of liberation – 6 September 1944 – notwithstanding
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#17327764475135270-493: The judges. Leterme tendered his resignation and that of his government on 19 December 2008, which was accepted by King Albert II on 22 December. With 17 July 2009 government reshuffle, Leterme succeeded Karel De Gucht , who became European Commissioner, as the minister of foreign affairs in the Van Rompuy I Government . Following Van Rompuy's assignation as president of the European Council, Leterme once again became Prime Minister of Belgium. His place as Minister of Foreign Affairs
5355-413: The largest, best-known, and most costly in human suffering was the Third Battle of Ypres (31 July to 10 November 1917, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele ), in which the British, Canadian, ANZAC , and French forces recaptured the Passchendaele Ridge east of the city at a terrible cost of lives. After months of fighting, this battle resulted in nearly half a million casualties to all sides, and only
5440-426: The long time and effort it had taken him to capture Tournai and apprehension of disease spreading in his army in the poorly drained land around Ypres (see Battle of Malplaquet ). In 1713 it was handed over to the Habsburgs, and became part of the Austrian Netherlands . In 1782 the Habsburg Emperor Joseph II ordered parts of the walls torn down. This destruction, which was only partly repaired, made it easier for
5525-420: The memorial at Tyne Cot , a site which marks the farthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. Other New Zealand casualties are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery . The Menin Gate records only soldiers for whom there is no known grave. As graves are identified, the names of those buried in them are removed from
5610-408: The nation's three linguistic communities, Leterme tendered his resignation to King Albert II . On 17 July, King Albert, after holding a flurry of consultations with leaders of political parties, labour unions, and the employers' association, rejected Leterme's resignation. Instead, the King appointed a three-person commission of representatives of the linguistic communities to investigate how to restart
5695-513: The negotiations to form a coalition government, negotiations which would turn out to be protracted and initially lead to a stalemate. Yves Leterme was the favourite to become the next Prime Minister of Belgium following the 2007 General Election . From 16 July to 23 August 2007, Leterme led the formal coalition talks into forming a new government. But the negotiations failed over constitutional reform and on 23 August he resigned as formateur . On 29 September, Herman Van Rompuy , "explorer" in
5780-465: The path of Germany's planned sweep across the rest of Belgium and into France from the north (the Schlieffen Plan ). The neutrality of Belgium, established by the First Treaty of London , was guaranteed by Britain; Germany's invasion of Belgium brought the British Empire into the war. The German army surrounded the city on three sides, bombarding it throughout much of the war. To counterattack, British, French, and allied forces made costly advances from
5865-462: The position of Deputy Secretary-General at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), starting 1 January 2012. Leterme still supported his party in the October 2012 municipal elections . He was the main candidate for the CD&V/N-VA list in Ypres , which maintained its absolute majority. During the election he said "Honesty commands me to tell you I cannot become mayor right away because I must honour my earlier commitment to
5950-432: The question whether the lack of knowledge of Dutch is a matter of not wanting or not being able to." A news report produced by the Belgian Francophone television company RTBF alleged that Leterme said in the Flemish parliament: "I don't need the King". According to Flemish newspapers, this sentence was taken out of context, because Leterme was talking about the creation of Flemish statutes (decrees): legislation approved by
6035-434: The reform process. The commission was to report to the King by 31 July 2008. On 19 December 2008 he offered his resignation to King Albert II after a crisis surrounding the sale of Fortis to BNP Paribas . On 22 December 2008 the King accepted his resignation, along with that of his entire government. He remained prime minister until 30 December, when Herman Van Rompuy was appointed as his successor. On 24 November 2009, it
6120-716: The religious movement known as Jansenism , and of Robert of Bethune , nicknamed "The Lion of Flanders", who was Count of Nevers (1273–1322) and Count of Flanders (1305–1322). The Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing commemorates those soldiers of the British Commonwealth – with the exception of Newfoundland and New Zealand – who fell in the Ypres Salient during the First World War before 16 August 1917 and who have no known grave. United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on
6205-399: The town. The first gas attack occurred against Canadian, British, and French soldiers, including both metropolitan French soldiers as well as Senegalese and Algerian tirailleurs (light infantry) from French Africa. The gas used was chlorine . Mustard gas , also called Yperite from the name of this town, was also used for the first time near Ypres, in the autumn of 1917. Of the battles,
6290-430: The war the town was extensively rebuilt using money paid by Germany in reparations , with the main square, including the Cloth Hall and town hall, being rebuilt as close to the original designs as possible (the rest of the rebuilt town is more modern in appearance). The Cloth Hall today is home to In Flanders Fields Museum , dedicated to Ypres's role in the First World War and named for the poem by John McCrae . Ypres
6375-589: The widely supported demand in Flanders for more regional autonomy. They consistently decry him for making what they say are provocative or erroneous statements. During an interview with the French newspaper Libération in August 2006, Leterme, who is bilingual with a French-speaking father (and having a French name), made a remark about the overall failure and refusal of French-speaking inhabitants to learn and use Dutch in certain municipalities, more specifically in municipalities with language facilities . Initially,
6460-580: Was announced that Leterme would once again become prime minister, succeeding Van Rompuy, who had been selected to become the first President of the European Council . On 22 April 2010 he once again offered his resignation to King Albert II after a key Flemish party, the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats , withdrew its support for the coalition government. An election followed in June, resulting in protracted attempts to negotiate
6545-601: Was appointed Member of the Belgian Parliament . He has been a member of the city council of Ypres since 1995. He served as alderman of Ypres from 1995 to 2001. He was appointed to the Chamber of Representatives in 1997, elected in 1999 and 2003. After the defeat of the CD&;V in the general elections of 2003 , he succeeded Stefaan De Clerck as party chairman. In 2004 Yves Leterme became Minister-President of
6630-584: Was elevated to cathedral. On 25 March 1678, Ypres was conquered by the forces of Louis XIV of France . It remained French under the Treaty of Nijmegen , and Vauban constructed his typical fortifications that can still be seen today. During the War of the Spanish Succession , the Duke of Marlborough in 1709 intended to capture Ypres, at the time a major French fortress, but changed his mind owing to
6715-481: Was hospitalised on 14 February 2008. Rumours that he was suffering from hepatitis were formally denied by a spokesman, and it was later disclosed that he had suffered internal bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract . His duties as Minister for Budget and Institutional Reform were temporarily taken over by Jo Vandeurzen ( CD&V ), the Minister for Justice. On 18 March 2008, an agreement between five parties on
6800-475: Was inhabited by the Belgae , a mix of Celtic and Germanic peoples . The Latin name was revived in 1790 by the short-lived United Belgian States which was created after a revolution against Austrian rule took place in 1789. Since no adjective equivalent to "Belgian" existed at the time, the French noun "Belgique" (or "Belgium") was adopted as both noun and adjective; a phenomenon borrowed from Latin which
6885-565: Was split and the Belgian government sold the Belgian part to French bank BNP Paribas . The shareholders, who were not consulted in the sale, sued the Belgian state. Although at first the government won, on appeal the court of appeal reversed the judgement of the lower court and ordered the freezing of the sale. Following the verdict, First President Ghislain Londers of the Court of Cassation indicated that government officials had tried to influence
6970-608: Was still commonly used during the period. From the sixteenth century, the Low Countries " or " Netherlands ", were referred to as 'Belgica' in Latin, as was the Dutch Republic . Belgians are primarily a nationality or citizen group, by jus soli (Latin: right of the soil), also known as birthright citizenship, and are not a homogeneous ethnic group . Belgians are made up of two main linguistic and ethnic groups;
7055-408: Was taken by Steven Vanackere . In complicated negotiations regarding the bilingual electoral unit Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde surrounding Belgian capital Brussels a deadline set by government party Open VLD was not met. Following the departure on 22 April 2010 of this party from the government Leterme had to offer the resignation of his government once again. On 26 April the resignation was accepted by
7140-520: Was the proclamation of the constitution, when the correct answer is the coronation of the country's first King, Leopold I of Belgium . Subsequently, he was asked if he knew the French version of the Belgian national anthem, whereupon he began to sing the Marseillaise , the French national anthem, instead of the Brabançonne . Leterme caused controversy again in a December 2007 interview with
7225-476: Was transformed from an almost entirely Dutch-speaking into a multilingual city with French as the majority language and lingua franca . Since the independence of Belgium in 1830, the constitutional title of the Belgian head of state is the "King of the Belgians" rather than the "King of Belgium". Within Belgium the Flemish, about 60% of the population, form a clearly distinguishable group, set apart by their language and customs. However, when compared to
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