# Minister of State (Belgium)

The Minister of State (Dutch: Minister van Staat, French: Ministre d'État, German: Staatsminister) is an honorary title in Belgium. It is formally granted by the Belgian monarch, but on the initiative of the Belgian federal government. It is given on a personal basis, for life rather than for a specified period. The title is granted for exceptional merits, generally to senior politicians at the end of their party careers. It is not lost after a criminal conviction (Guy Spitaels, Willy Claes). Ministers of state are often former cabinet members or party leaders. Ministers of State advise the Sovereign in delicate situations, with moral authority but without formal competence. They are also members of the Crown Council of Belgium.

## List of living ministers of state

* Willy Claes – 2 December 1983
* Philippe Busquin – 26 May 1992
* Guy Verhofstadt – 30 January 1995
* Louis Tobback – 30 January 1995
* Annemie Neyts – 30 January 1995
* Magda Aelvoet – 30 January 1995
* Louis Michel – 30 January 1995
* José Daras – 30 January 1995
* Gérard Deprez – 30 January 1995
* Herman De Croo – 3 June 1998
* François-Xavier de Donnea – 17 July 1998
* Mark Eyskens – 18 November 1998
* Elio Di Rupo – 28 January 2002
* Raymond Langendries – 28 January 2002
* Patrick Dewael – 28 January 2002
* Jos Geysels – 28 January 2002
* Karel De Gucht – 28 January 2002
* Herman Van Rompuy – 26 January 2004
* Charles Picqué – 26 January 2004
* Philippe Monfils – 26 January 2004
* Étienne Davignon – 26 January 2004
* Johan Vande Lanotte – 30 January 2006
* Frank Vandenbroucke – 24 November 2009
* Melchior Wathelet – 7 December 2009
* André Flahaut – 7 December 2009
* Yves Leterme – 7 December 2011
* Jacques van Ypersele de Strihou – 20 July 2013
* Frans van Daele – 2 November 2017
* Charles Michel – 31 October 2019

## Former ministers of state

| Date of appointment | Name | Birth Death |
| 12 November 1831 | Félix de Mérode | 1791–1857 |
| 12 November 1831 | Barthélémy de Theux de Meylandt | 1794–1874 |
| 12 November 1831 | Felix de Muelenaere | 1793–1862 |
| 17 September 1832 | Albert Goblet d'Alviella | 1790–1873 |
| 8 August 1834 | Auguste Duvivier | 1772–1846 |
| 19 August 1836 | Louis Evain [fr] | 1775–1852 |
| 19 June 1845 | Jean-Baptiste Nothomb | 1805–1881 |
| 30 July 1845 | Edouard d'Huart | 1800–1884 |
| 12 August 1845 | Edouard Mercier | 1799–1870 |
| 12 August 1847 | Charles Liedts | 1802–1878 |
| 12 August 1847 | Henri de Brouckère | 1801–1891 |
| 6 June 1856 | Jules Joseph d'Anethan | 1803–1888 |
| 6 June 1856 | Adolphe Dechamps | 1807–1875 |
| 6 June 1856 | Charles Le Hon | 1792–1868 |
| 12 November 1857 | Joseph Lebeau | 1794–1866 |
| 12 November 1857 | Noël Delfosse | 1801–1858 |
| 3 June 1861 | Walthère Frère-Orban | 1812–1896 |
| 4 November 1861 | Adolphe de Vrière [fr] | 1806–1885 |
| 13 May 1863 | Eugène de Ligne | 1804–1880 |
| 13 May 1863 | Sylvain Van de Weyer | 1802–1874 |
| 6 June 1863 | Constant d'Hoffschmidt | 1804–1873 |
| 4 January 1868 | Charles Rogier | 1800–1885 |
| 4 January 1868 | Alphonse Vandenpeereboom | 1812–1884 |
| 24 July 1870 | Jules Malou | 1810–1886 |
| 7 July 1872 | Barthélemy Dumortier | 1797–1878 |
| 1 May 1875 | Charles Vilain XIIII | 1803–1878 |
| 1 May 1875 | Hubert Dolez | 1808–1880 |
| 7 January 1879 | François D'Elhoungne | 1815–1892 |
| 7 January 1879 | Auguste Orts | 1814–1880 |
| 18 June 1884 | Eudore Pirmez | 1830–1890 |
| 25 January 1885 | Auguste Lambermont | 1819–1905 |
| 20 May 1888 | Victor Jacobs | 1838–1891 |
| 20 May 1888 | Charles Delcour | 1811–1889 |
| 9 June 1890 | Théophile de Lantsheere | 1833–1918 |
| 9 June 1890 | Karel de Mérode-Westerloo | 1824–1892 |
| 9 June 1890 | Henri t'Kint de Roodenbeke | 1817–1900 |
| 15 November 1891 | Louis de Jonghe d'Ardoye | 1820–1893 |
| 15 November 1891 | Jules Guillery | 1824–1902 |
| 15 November 1891 | Charles Woeste | 1837–1922 |
| 28 March 1894 | August Beernaert | 1829–1912 |
| 28 March 1894 | Jules Le Jeune | 1828–1911 |
| 9 November 1897 | Pierre Tack | 1818–1910 |
| 24 January 1899 | Paul de Smet de Naeyer | 1843–1913 |
| 7 May 1900 | Joseph Devolder | 1842–1919 |
| 7 May 1900 | Charles Graux | 1837–1910 |
| 7 May 1900 | Jules Vandenpeereboom | 1843–1917 |
| 1 May 1907 | Paul de Favereau | 1856–1922 |
| 1 May 1907 | Jules Van den Heuvel | 1854–1926 |
| 6 May 1907 | Frans Schollaert | 1851–1917 |
| 6 May 1907 | Jules Greindl | 1835–1917 |
| 6 May 1907 | Émile Dupont | 1834–1912 |
| 22 February 1912 | Julien Liebaert | 1848–1930 |
| 23 February 1912 | Gérard Cooreman | 1852–1926 |
| 23 February 1912 | Joris Helleputte | 1852–1925 |
| 23 February 1912 | Xavier Neujean | 1840–1914 |
| 23 February 1912 | Louis Huysmans | 1844–1915 |
| 14 August 1912 | Louis De Sadeleer | 1852–1924 |
| 14 August 1912 | Paul Janson | 1840–1913 |
| 2 August 1914 | Paul Hymans | 1865–1941 |
| 4 August 1914 | Emile Vandervelde | 1866–1938 |
| 26 July 1915 | Eugène Beyens | 1855–1934 |
| 31 May 1918 | Charles de Broqueville | 1860–1940 |
| 21 November 1918 | Paul Segers | 1870–1946 |
| 21 November 1918 | Henri Carton de Wiart | 1869–1951 |
| 21 November 1918 | Aloys Van de Vyvere | 1871–1961 |
| 21 November 1918 | Ernest Solvay | 1838–1922 |
| 21 November 1918 | Michel Levie | 1851–1939 |
| 21 November 1918 | Adolphe Max | 1869–1939 |
| 21 November 1918 | Emile Francqui | 1863–1935 |
| 21 November 1918 | Paul Van Hoegaerden | 1858–1922 |
| 21 November 1918 | Paul Berryer | 1868–1936 |
| 21 November 1918 | Léon Colleaux | 1865–1950 |
| 21 November 1918 | Louis Bertrand | 1856–1943 |
| 2 June 1920 | Jules Renkin | 1862–1934 |
| 20 November 1920 | Léon Delacroix | 1867–1929 |
| 11 March 1924 | Henri Jaspar | 1870–1939 |
| 2 April 1925 | Emile Brunet | 1863–1945 |
| 2 April 1925 | Alexandre Braun | 1847–1935 |
| 2 April 1925 | Charles Magnette | 1863–1937 |
| 13 May 1925 | Georges Theunis | 1873–1966 |
| 13 May 1925 | Fulgence Masson | 1854–1942 |
| 20 May 1926 | Prosper Poullet | 1868–1937 |
| 27 September 1926 | Louis Franck | 1868–1937 |
| 13 October 1926 | Jean Servais | 1856–1946 |
| 8 April 1930 | Emile Tibbaut | 1862–1935 |
| 8 April 1930 | Edward Anseele | 1856–1938 |
| 8 April 1930 | Albert Devèze | 1881–1959 |
| 6 June 1931 | Paul-Emile Janson | 1872–1944 |
| 6 June 1931 | Frans Van Cauwelaert | 1880–1961 |
| 22 February 1932 | Maurice Houtart | 1866–1939 |
| 23 September 1932 | Jules Poncelet | 1869–1952 |
| 23 September 1932 | Xavier Neujean | 1865–1940 |
| 31 July 1934 | Maurice Lippens | 1875–1956 |
| 31 July 1934 | Cyrille Van Overbergh | 1866–1959 |
| 3 September 1945 | Louis de Brouckère | 1870–1951 |
| 3 September 1945 | Achille Delattre | 1879–1964 |
| 3 September 1945 | Octave Dierckx | 1882–1955 |
| 3 September 1945 | Frans Fischer | 1875–1949 |
| 3 September 1945 | Robert Gillon | 1884–1972 |
| 3 September 1945 | Camille Gutt | 1884–1971 |
| 3 September 1945 | Henri Heyman | 1879–1958 |
| 3 September 1945 | Georges Hubin | 1863–1947 |
| 3 September 1945 | Camille Huysmans | 1871–1968 |
| 3 September 1945 | Victor Maistriau | 1870–1961 |
| 3 September 1945 | Joseph Merlot | 1886–1959 |
| 3 September 1945 | Hubert Pierlot | 1883–1963 |
| 3 September 1945 | Eugène Soudan | 1880–1960 |
| 3 September 1945 | Paul Tschoffen | 1878–1961 |
| 13 February 1946 | Romain Moyersoen | 1870–1967 |
| 21 July 1948 | Henri Rolin | 1891–1973 |
| 21 July 1948 | Paul Van Zeeland | 1893–1973 |
| 21 July 1948 | August De Schryver | 1898–1991 |
| 21 July 1948 | Max Buset | 1896–1959 |
| 24 June 1949 | Albert-Edouard Janssen | 1883–1969 |
| 11 August 1949 | Paul-Henri Spaak | 1899–1972 |
| 24 December 1950 | Cassian Lohest | 1894–1951 |
| 23 December 1958 | Théo Lefèvre | 1914–1973 |
| 23 December 1958 | Roger Motz | 1904–1964 |
| 23 December 1958 | Paul Struye | 1896–1974 |
| 23 December 1958 | Achiel Van Acker | 1898–1975 |
| 5 April 1963 | Paul Kronacker | 1897–1994 |
| 5 April 1963 | Gaston Eyskens | 1905–1988 |
| 5 April 1963 | Leo Collard | 1902–1981 |
| 5 April 1963 | Charles du Bus de Warnaffe | 1894–1965 |
| 5 April 1963 | Joseph Lemaire | 1882–1966 |
| 12 July 1966 | Joseph Pholien | 1884–1968 |
| 12 July 1966 | Jean Van Houtte | 1907–1991 |
| 12 July 1966 | René Lefebvre | 1893–1976 |
| 12 July 1966 | Antoon Spinoy | 1906–1967 |
| 12 July 1966 | Paul-Willem Segers | 1900–1983 |
| 12 July 1966 | Piet Vermeylen | 1904–1991 |
| 12 July 1966 | Oscar Behogne | 1900–1970 |
| 12 July 1966 | Omer Vanaudenhove | 1913–1994 |
| 12 July 1966 | Maurice Destenay | 1900–1973 |
| 12 July 1966 | Émile Cornez | 1900–1967 |
| 15 July 1969 | Paul Vanden Boeynants | 1919–2001 |
| 15 July 1969 | Albert Lilar | 1900–1976 |
| 15 July 1969 | Robert Houben | 1905–1992 |
| 15 July 1969 | Léon-Eli Troclet | 1902–1980 |
| 15 July 1969 | Jos Van Eynde [nl] | 1907–1992 |
| 22 February 1971 | Edmond Leburton | 1915–1997 |
| 23 February 1972 | Jean Rey | 1902–1983 |
| 20 February 1973 | Pierre Harmel | 1911–2009 |
| 30 March 1973 | Louis Major | 1902–1985 |
| 30 March 1973 | Edmond Machtens | 1902–1978 |
| 30 March 1973 | Pierre Descamps | 1916–1992 |
| 30 March 1973 | August Cool | 1903–1983 |
| 18 October 1974 | Marguerite De Riemaecker-Legot | 1923–1977 |
| 18 October 1974 | Marc-Antoine Pierson | 1908–1988 |
| 18 October 1974 | Frans Grootjans | 1922–1999 |
| 14 February 1977 | Raymond Scheyven | 1911–1987 |
| 14 February 1977 | Raoul Vreven | 1900–1979 |
| 14 February 1977 | Alfons Vranckx | 1907–1979 |
| 14 February 1977 | Robert Henrion | 1915–1997 |
| 4 October 1978 | Jos De Saeger | 1911–1998 |
| 2 December 1983 | Ward Leemans | 1926–1998 |
| 2 December 1983 | André Cools | 1927–1991 |
| 2 December 1983 | Herman Vanderpoorten | 1922–1984 |
| 2 December 1983 | Jean Defraigne | 1929–2016 |
| 2 December 1983 | Michel Toussaint | 1922–2007 |
| 2 December 1983 | Alfred Califice | 1916–1999 |
| 2 December 1983 | Frans Van der Elst | 1920–1997 |
| 2 December 1983 | August Vanistendael | 1917–2003 |
| 2 December 1983 | Antoinette Spaak | 1928–2020 |
| 2 December 1983 | Guy Spitaels | 1931–2012 |
| 6 January 1985 | Willy Declercq | 1927–2011 |
| 6 June 1985 | Frank Van Acker | 1929–1992 |
| 7 March 1992 | Wilfried Martens | 1936–2013 |
| 26 May 1992 | Paula D'Hondt | 1926–2022 |
| 26 May 1992 | Jean Gol | 1942–1995 |
| 26 May 1992 | Arthur Gilson | 1915–2004 |
| 26 May 1992 | Irène Pétry | 1922–2007 |
| 26 May 1992 | Gilbert Temmerman | 1928–2012 |
| 26 May 1992 | Leo Tindemans | 1922–2014 |
| 26 May 1992 | Renaat Van Elslande | 1916–2000 |
| 26 May 1992 | Karel Van Miert | 1942–2009 |
| 10 September 1993 | Andries Kinsbergen | 1926–2016 |
| 30 January 1995 | Philippe Moureaux | 1939–2018 |
| 30 January 1995 | Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb | 1936-2023 |
| 30 January 1995 | Frank Swaelen | 1930–2007 |
| 30 January 1995 | Hugo Schiltz | 1927–2006 |
| 17 July 1998 | Gaston Geens | 1931–2002 |
| 17 July 1998 | Antoine Duquesne | 1941–2010 |
| 17 July 1998 | Philippe Maystadt | 1948–2017 |
| 17 July 1998 | Robert Urbain | 1930–2018 |
| 12 July 1999 | Jean-Luc Dehaene | 1940–2014 |
| 28 January 2002 | Daniel Ducarme | 1954–2010 |
| 28 January 2002 | Roger Lallemand | 1932–2016 |
| 28 January 2002 | Jacky Morael | 1959–2016 |
| 28 January 2002 | Miet Smet | 1943–2024 |
| 28 January 2002 | Freddy Willockx | 1947–2024 |
| 1 August 2003 | Luc Coene | 1947–2017 |
| 26 January 2004 | Jaak Gabriëls | 1943–2024 |
| 26 January 2004 | Steve Stevaert | 1954–2015 |
| 24 November 2009 | Jos Chabert | 1933–2014 |
| 24 November 2009 | Armand De Decker | 1948–2019 |
| 7 December 2009 | Karel Poma | 1920–2014 |