Biography
October 2020 - now: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions
Sworn in De Croo IOn 1 October 2020, Sophie Wilmès took the oath as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions.
October 2019 - september 2020: Prime Minister of Belgium in charge of Beliris and Federal Cultural Institutions
From the october 27th to september 30th Sophie Wilmès have been the Prime Minister of Belgium.
December 2018 - october 2019: Minister of the Budget and the Civil Service, in charge of the National Lottery and Science Policy
On 9 December 2018 Sophie Wilmès will inherit additional competences and will also be in charge of the Civil Service and Science Policy.
September 2015 - december 2018 : Minister of the Budget in charge of the National Lottery
Sophie Wilmès joined the Federal Government on 21 September 2015, holding the role of Minister of the Budget, in charge of the National Lottery.
October 2014 - september 2015: member of the Federal Parliament
Between October 2014 and September 2015, Sophie Wilmès was member of the Federal Parliament. She was a member of the Finance and Budget, Defense and Economy committee.
Who is Sophie Wilmès?
I was born in Ixelles on 15 January 1975. I spent my childhood in Grez-Doiceau (Wallonia) and my adolescence and student days in Brussels, before settling down in Sint-Genesius-Rode.
Following my degree in Applied Communication – Advertising at the Institute for Higher Social Communication Studies (IHECS), I became a financial officer at the European Commission and obtained a further degree, this time in Financial Management, through night classes at the Institut Supérieur de Commerce Saint-Louis. I then joined a law firm as a financial and economic advisor.
After being elected an alderwoman on Sint-Genesius-Rhode Municipal Council for the first time, I decided to focus completely on my work for the municipality. Pursuing my political activities, I was subsequently elected to the Flemish Brabant Provincial Council and then to the Chamber of Representatives (the lower house of the Belgian Federal Parliament) and the chair of the French-speaking liberal Reformist Movement party (MR) in the municipalities surrounding Brussels.
"My political and career choices have always been inspired by a desire to work for the benefit of the community. Day in, day out, I dynamically, diligently and transparently endeavour to improve everyone’s day-to-day lives."