Wilfried Martens Biography

Appointed Minister of Community Problems

Appointed President of the Social Christian Party

Appointed Prime Minister of Belgium, 1st term

Begins the First to Fourth Martens Governments in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Martens signs for Belgium as Prime Minister during Greece's accession ceremony.

Appointed Prime Minister of Belgium, 2nd term

The First to Fourth Martens Governments ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Appointed Prime Minister of Belgium, 3rd term

Martens represents Belgium as the Community agrees the terms for Spanish and Portuguese membership.

The Schengen Treaty is signed by Belgium, Holland, Germany & France, abolishes border checks

Leads Belgium when the five founding governments sign the Schengen Agreement, committing themselves to the gradual removal of internal border checks.

Leads Belgium when the five founding states sign the Convention implementing the 1985 Schengen Agreement.

Martens helps lead Belgium as Italy signs its agreement to accede to the Schengen Convention. Brussels also stresses coordinated policing and external-border safeguards.

Martens represents Belgium as Spain and Portugal sign Schengen accession agreements. The Belgian approach combines mobility with common visa and policing rules.

Leads Belgium's delegation as the Luxembourg European Council reviews progress toward political and monetary union.

Supports stronger European institutions and movement toward monetary union.

Represents Belgium during negotiations on the Treaty on European Union.

Represents Belgium as the Maastricht European Council opens the decisive treaty negotiations.

Brussels is granted devolved power

Brussels is granted devolved power

Flanders is granted devolved power

Wallonia is granted devolved power