Sophie Wilmès of ALDE member party Mouvement Réformateur (MR) in Belgium was appointed the country’s prime minister on 26 October. In this role, she succeeds Charles Michel who will take over the presidency of the European Council at the beginning of December.

Becoming the first woman ever to hold this position, Wilmès – who prior to this worked as Minister of Budget in Michel’s second administration – will be leading the caretaker government until a new federal government has been formed. Talks and negotiations have been on-going since Belgium held elections in May 2019.

“Thank you to those who have shown me their enthusiasm and support for this new role. The path will certainly not be simple but my willingness to work for the benefit of all remains intact,” Wilmès commented after the appointment.

The appointment of Wilmès is an encouraging step and paves the way for having more liberal women in positions of power. Our European Women’s Academy (EWA), a unique training programme helping liberal women succeed in elections, is also working to achieve this goal. Find out more about EWA here.

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