Melissa Depraetere Returns as Minister After Premature Birth

Flemish Minister Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit) has returned to her duties as viceminister-president and minister of Housing, Energy, Climate, Tourism, and Youth after a period of maternity leave, describing the experience of her daughter’s premature birth as an “emotional rollercoaster” that has fundamentally changed her approach to politics.

A Challenging Journey

Depraetere’s daughter Cécile was born on February 14, 2026 — nine weeks early and weighing just 1,150 grams. The minister had been diagnosed with pregnancy-induced hypertension (pre-eclampsia) at 23 weeks, creating a high risk of premature birth. On doctor’s advice, she left her post in mid-January, earlier than planned.

“It has been an exceptionally intense period, an emotional rollercoaster,” Depraetere said in her first interview since returning, conducted by VRT NWS.

Cécile spent seven weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and neonatal ward at Sint-Jansziekenhuis in Bruges. “You spend weeks in a context where babies are fighting for their lives,” Depraetere recalled. “You wake up at night without your baby and you immediately start worrying.”

Despite the intensity of the NICU environment, Depraetere noted that modern care has evolved significantly. “In the past, parents were just expected to look at their tiny babies in incubators. That is absolutely not our experience. We cuddled with her for hours,” she said. However, she had to return home each night, which took an emotional toll. “You wake up at night, but your baby is not with you, and you immediately start worrying.”

A Precedent-Setting Leave

Depraetere’s maternity leave marked a historic first for Flemish politics: she became the first Flemish minister to be formally replaced during maternity leave. Previously, a minister’s portfolio would be temporarily divided among colleagues. In this case, Vooruit politician Hans Bonte served as replacement minister from January 21 to June 28, 2026 — creating a temporary 10th minister in the Flemish government.

The arrangement required full government approval and was negotiated months in advance after Depraetere announced her pregnancy in November 2025. During her leave, she remained “titular minister without portfolio” and received reduced pay through a separate fund rather than her full ministerial salary.

Depraetere faced online harassment during this period, with critics questioning the financial arrangements. Her husband, Kenneth Vermeulen, publicly addressed the “internet trolls,” calling them “empty heads” and expressing hope they would never experience a similar situation. Depraetere noted that much of the criticism stemmed from misunderstanding. “I no longer received my salary as a minister,” she explained. “I received an amount through a separate fund, like any employee would receive through health insurance.”

The minister has called for standardized regulations to prevent similar confusion in the future. “That was not regulated. I had to ask for it myself,” she said. “Many things in politics are not up to date and not regulated. Maybe we should work on that for future situations.”

A Changed Perspective

The experience has given Depraetere a renewed outlook on governance. “We sometimes really lose ourselves in side issues in politics,” she said, expressing frustration at having to watch from the sidelines during her leave as the Flemish government grappled with a controversy over student transport (leerlingenvervoer) for special education.

“Sometimes you wonder: what does the Flemish government actually want to do?” she remarked, referring to the government’s initial proposal to cut transport funding, which was later reversed after public backlash. Even Minister-President Matthias Diependaele (N-VA) acknowledged the episode was not the government’s finest moment.

Policy Implications

Depraetere has signaled her intention to push for institutional reforms on multiple fronts. She has called for standardized regulations for ministerial maternity leave, noting that the ad-hoc nature of her arrangement drew unnecessary criticism. “That was not regulated. I had to ask for it myself,” she said. “Many things in politics are not up to date and not regulated. Maybe we should work on that for future situations.”

She has also highlighted the need for better support for parents of NICU babies. Some hospitals already offer facilities for parents to stay 24/7 with their newborns, but this is not yet standard. “Perhaps the government should support hospitals more to provide the necessary infrastructure for that,” she suggested.

Depraetere specifically pointed out that fathers often cannot stay with their babies in the NICU because they lack equivalent leave systems. “Unlike mothers, they don’t have a system to fall back on,” she said. “It’s so important for the baby that both parents can be there often. And it’s not to be underestimated for mothers, having to be there alone with so many worries.”

Looking Ahead

Depraetere returns to a full agenda, with thousands of pages of energy dossiers awaiting approval before the summer recess. She has also set a target of 2027 for implementing a “tax cut” that would remove levies from electricity bills. As the Flemish government faces a challenging budget exercise, her voice — shaped by a profoundly personal experience — will be a critical addition to the coalition table.

“The slogan of the coalition agreement is a warm, prosperous Flanders,” Depraetere noted. “Warm was definitely there.” The question now is how that warmth translates into policy.