Wilfried Martens
| Wilfried Martens | |
|---|---|
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| President of the European People's Party | |
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In office 1990 – 9 October 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Jacques Santer |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Daul |
| Prime Minister of Belgium | |
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In office 17 December 1981 – 7 March 1992 |
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| Monarch | Baudouin |
| Preceded by | Mark Eyskens |
| Succeeded by | Jean-Luc Dehaene |
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In office 3 April 1979 – 31 March 1981 |
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| Monarch | Baudouin |
| Preceded by | Paul Vanden Boeynants |
| Succeeded by | Mark Eyskens |
| Leader of the European People's Party-European Democrats | |
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In office 20 July 1994 – 20 July 1999 |
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| Preceded by | Leo Tindemans |
| Succeeded by | Hans-Gert Pöttering |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Wilfried Achiel Emma Martens 19 April 1936 Sleidinge, Belgium |
| Died | 9 October 2013 (aged 77) Lokeren, Belgium |
| Political party | Christian Democratic and Flemish |
| Spouse(s) | Lieve Verschroeven (1962–Div. 1997) Ilse Schouteden (1998–Div. 2007) Miet Smet (2008–2013, his death) |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater |
Catholic University of Leuven Harvard University |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Website | Official website |
Wilfried Achiel Emma Martens (Dutch: [ˈʋɪlfrit ˈmɑrtə(n)s]; 19 April 1936 – 9 October 2013) was a Flemish Belgian politician. He was born in Sleidinge (East Flanders). During his political career, Martens served as the Prime Minister of Belgium from 3 April 1979 to 6 April 1981 and 17 December 1981 to 7 March 1992.
Martens was a Chair of the Belgian Christian People's Party (now renamed Christian Democratic and Flemish party, CD&V) from 1972 to 1979, sitting as a Deputy in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives (federal parliament) from 1974 to 1991, and serving as a Senator from 1991 to 1994.
Wilfried Martens served as Prime Minister in nine coalition governments (Martens I-IX) from 3 April 1979 to 6 April 1981 and 17 December 1981 to 7 March 1992. His period in office was dominated by the economic crisis of the 1980s and the state reforms of 1980 and 1988 which set Belgium on a path to federalism.
He co-founded the European People's Party (EPP) in 1976 and was EPP President from 1992 until his death.
From 1993 he was President of the European Union of Christian Democrats (EUCD), until its merger with the EPP in 1996. Martens also negotiated with Finnish conservative politician Sauli Niinistö the merger of the European Democrat Union (EDU) into the EPP (formally concluded in 2002). The successful fusion of all centre-right European organisations into the EPP – currently the largest transnational European political party with 75 member-parties from 40 countries – is widely recognised as an important achievement of his European political legacy.
From 1994 to 1998, he was a Member of the European Parliament, chairing the EPP Group.
From October 2000 to November 2001 he was also the President of the Christian Democrat International (CDI).
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