Kris Van Dijck

Born in Turnhout, Van Dijck grew up in Dessel. He trained as a primary school teacher in Wijnegem and worked in education before entering full-time politics in 1995.

Early career and N-VA

Van Dijck began his political career with the People's Union (Volksunie), becoming an alderman in Dessel in 1989. Following the establishment of the N-VA in 2001, he became its first secretary-general.

Flemish Parliament (1995–2024)

Van Dijck served continuously in the Flemish Parliament from 1995 until 2024. He was parliamentary group leader of the N-VA from 2004 to 2006 and from 2009 to 2012.

His parliamentary work focused on education, local government, public administration and sport. In 2019, he briefly served as Speaker of the Flemish Parliament. He subsequently chaired the Committee on Internal Administration, Equal Opportunities and Civic Integration.

In March 2025, he was granted the honorary title of former Speaker of the Flemish Parliament.

Controversies

In July 2019, Van Dijck resigned as Speaker of the Flemish Parliament following a drink-driving incident and media allegations concerning his intervention in a social benefits case.

Van Dijck denied the allegations of fraud. In October 2019, the Flemish Parliament's Deontological Committee unanimously dismissed a complaint against him. The Belgian Council for Journalism subsequently partially upheld his complaint against P-Magazine, finding that the publication had created an insufficiently substantiated impression of fraud.