Matthias Diependaele

Matthias Diependaele (born 7 Augustus 1979 in Sint-Niklaas) is a Belgian politician affiliated to the N-VA who is the current Minister for Finance, Budget, Housing and Immovable Heritage in the Flemish Government. He previously served as a member of the Flemish Parliament between 2009 and 2019.[1]

Matthias Diependaele
Flemish Minister for Finance, Budget, Housing and Immovable Heritage
Assumed office
2 October 2019
Member of the Flemish Parliament
In office
7 June 2009 – 1 October 2019
Personal details
Born (1979-08-07) 7 August 1979
Sint-Niklaas, East Flanders
NationalityBelgian
Political partyN-VA
ResidenceErwetegem
Websitehttp://www.n-va.be/cv/matthias-diependaele

Career

In 2006, he graduated with a law degree from the KU Leuven, having specialized himself in European and international law. He started his political career within the N-VA as a parliamentary aide to MEP Frieda Brepoels. In the 2009 regional elections, at the age of 29, he was elected as a member of the Flemish parliament. In 2013, Diependaele became the parliamentary leader for the N-VA in the Flemish parliament, succeeding Kris Van Dijck.[2]

In the 2012 local elections, Diependaele was the lead candidate for the N-VA-ZAP list in his home town Zottegem and was elected as a municipal councillor. Despite his party gaining the largest share of the vote, it was excluded from the governing coalition and ended up in opposition.[3] After the 2018 local elections, the N-VA formed a new coalition with CD&V and Diependaele was appointed as an alderman tasked with traffic, mobility, public works, spatial planning, submunicipalities and animal welfare. As part of the coalition agreement, it was decided that Diependaele would take over as mayor at the start of 2022.[4]

He was reelected as a member of the Flemish parliament in the 2014 and 2019 regional elections. On 2 October 2019, Diependaele became the Minister for Finance, Budget, Housing and Immovable Heritage in the new Jambon Government.[5] As required by law, he resigned from his position as an alderman in Zottegem at the same time. However, he will still take up his mandate as mayor of Zottegem at the start of 2022.[6] He was succeeded as parliamentary leader by Wilfried Vandaele.[7]

Notes
  1. "Lijst van de gekozenen Vlaams Parlement" (PDF) (in Dutch). Flemish Parliament. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2010. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  2. "Over Matthias Diependaele" (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  3. "Zottegem". Vlaanderenkiest.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  4. "Matthias Diependaele mentor van jonge N-VA ploeg in schepencollege" (in Dutch). Het Laatste Nieuws. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  5. "Wie is wie in de nieuwe Vlaamse regering?" (in Dutch). VRT NWS. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  6. "Matthias Diependaele ruilt Zottegem in voor Vlaanderen: wat zijn de gevolgen?". Het Laatste Nieuws. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  7. "Wilfried Vandaele is fractieleider N-VA in Vlaams Parlement" (in Dutch). Focus WTV. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2021.


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