Theo Francken

Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, in charge of Administrative Simplification

After obtaining a degree in pedagogy from the KU Leuven in 2001, Theo Francken was employed as a staffer of a political group in the Flemish Parliament. From 2004 onwards, he learned the ins and outs of politics in the cabinet of Flemish Minister Geert Bourgeois.

Parliamentary excellence
After nearly ten years of experience working in Belgian politics, Theo was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the first time in 2010. There he excelled in “his” areas of expertise, namely asylum and migration, defence and the royal household. On his initiative, the legislation on family reunification was tightened, the fast-track procedure for obtaining Belgian nationality abolished, and the members of the royal household now also pay taxes. The media almost unanimously agreed that Theo was one of the best MPs in Belgium.

A hard worker
Theo succeeded in becoming the mayor of Lubbeek, the town where he was born, thanks to his knack for politics, his thoroughness and above all thanks to a lot of hard work. This was no easy feat. When Theo founded the local branch of the N-VA with a number of like-minded residents in 2001, there was no Flemish nationalist tradition whatsoever in his municipality. After Theo was appointed Secretary of State, he left his team of excellent aldermen in the capable hands of his successor.