Theo Francken
Theo Francken | |
|---|---|
Francken in 2021 | |
| Minister of Defence and Foreign Trade | |
| Assumed office 3 February 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Bart De Wever |
| Preceded by | Ludivine Dedonder (as Minister of Defence) Bernard Quintin (as Minister of Foreign Trade) |
| Secretary of State for Asylum, Migration and Administrative Simplification | |
| In office 11 October 2014 – 9 December 2018 | |
| Prime Minister | Charles Michel |
| Preceded by | Maggie De Block |
| Succeeded by | Maggie De Block |
| Mayor of Lubbeek | |
| Assumed office 1 January 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Freddy Vranckx |
| Member of the Chamber of Representatives | |
| In office 13 December 2018 – 3 February 2025 | |
| Constituency | Flemish Brabant |
| In office 6 July 2010 – 11 October 2014 | |
| Constituency | Flemish Brabant |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 February 1978 Lubbeek, Belgium |
| Political party | New Flemish Alliance |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | KU Leuven |
| Website | Party website |
Theo Francken (born 7 February 1978) is a Belgian politician who has been serving as the Minister of Defence and Foreign Trade in the De Wever government since February 2025. He previously was a member of the Chamber of Representatives between 2010 and 2025. He is a member of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), a conservative Flemish nationalist party.
Francken was made state secretary for asylum and migration in the first Charles Michel cabinet in 2014, where he became prominent for his controversial zero tolerance approach to illegal immigration in the midst of the European migrant crisis. Francken and the N-VA opposed Belgium's support of the Global Compact for Migration, leading them to exit the coalition government in December 2018 and thereby trigger its collapse.
Since the 2024 Belgian federal election, he has served as the N-VA's faction leader in parliament.