Wivina Demeester

Wivina attained in her career many different positions. She began her career as a lecturer at the secondary education and founded in the late 60s Monks, a home for mental disabled people where she is still in the Board of Directors.

Wivina is socially very concerned and is in various Board of Directors in the health and welfare sector (including Associate Director of the university Hospital of Antwerp, Chairman of the Flemish Institute for Health and welfare promotion and director Flemish League Against Cancer), in the cultural sector (including Director Flemish Dutch House, a Commissioner for the Cultural treaty Flanders-Netherlands and chairman of DeSingel; the international art campus in Antwerp) and the Economic and Sociological sector (including special covenant of the Iron Rhine commissioned by the federal government and chairman of the Task Force Level of the Westerschelde commissioned by the Flemish government).

In her political career Wivina delivered many benefits to the social welfare. Wivina was among others responsible for the law of organ transplants, banning smoking in public buildings and the law integration allowance for the disabled. Besides her passion to civil commitment to the health and welfare she has also been achieved in the financial field.

Wivina ensured among others for the introduction her financial standard (The Euromeester standard) that the inheritance tax was reduced and simplified and that the entrepreneurs options were encouraged by tax benefits. Under these tax advantages were the 0% inheritance tax on transfer of family businesses and assets 0% patrimony tax (property tax) for all new business equipment & equipment. In 1992 Flanders had a deficit of 50 billion Belgian francs and under the supervision of Wivina Demeester it had a turnover in seven years of time to a budget surplus.

Her political career was very diverse. She held over the years several ministerial posts. Her political career began in 1974 in becoming a CVP (Christian People's Party)-representative in the Flemish parliament. After a few years, she was elected as councillor in Zoersel and in 1985 she was the Federal Secretary for Health and disability. Subsequently, she was in 1991 Federal Budget and Minister of Science, in 1992 Flemish Minister of Finance and Budget, health, Welfare and Family Affairs, in 1995 Flemish Minister of Finance, Budget and Health and from 1999 till 2004 she became again a House of Representatives for the CD & V (Christian Democratic and Flemish).