Personal details

• Berchem, 8th January 1969
• Doctor in Law and Governor of the Province of Antwerp
• Cathy Berx is married to Johan Meeusen University professor of European Law at the University of Antwerp. They have 2 children.

Curriculum vitae:

Professor Cathy Berx studied Law at the University of Antwerp, where she received her Master of Laws degree summa cum laude in 1993. As a researcher at the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders, she obtained in 1998 her Ph.D. in public law entitled: 'Legal protection from the citizens against the government' . In this specific domain, she published several prize-winning books. She has been working as a professor at the University of Antwerp from 2000 onwards, teaching the following courses: 'Law of the decentralised governances' (2nd Ma) and 'Juridical skills Debating Class' (1st Ba).

From 2001 until 2007 she was vice-chairman of the Social Service Department in the city of Antwerp. In the period between 2003 until 2008, she was vice-chairman of the Christian Democratic Party. She joined the Flemish Parliament in 2004 until April 2008.
Cathy Berx was a top staff member of former Minister-President and Prime Minister Yves Leterme. In that function, she was closely involved with the formation of the Flemish government (2004-2009), as well as with the negotiations in order to form a new federal government at the end of 2007 (Leterme I). From 2007 until 2008 she was a member of the Antwerp City Council.

In May 2008, Cathy Berx was appointed as governor of the province of Antwerp. As governor, she is the representative or ‘commissioner’ of the Federal and the Flemish Government in the province of Antwerp. She also presides over the Deputation. As commissioner of the Flemish Government, she is amongst other things responsible for the administrative supervision and coaching of the local authorities and social assistance councils (OCMWs) in the province. As commissioner of the Federal Government, the governor fulfills amongst other things tasks concerning the maintenance of public order and security, as well as the prevention and combating of large-scale disasters through the coordination of the various emergency services (fire brigade, police forces, medical services, logistics and communication). In general, the governor fulfills an arbitrating, coordinating, unifying and facilitating role. Cathy Berx carries out various representative tasks as well, and she takes care of the reception of members of the royal family as well as of international guests and delegations. Regularly, she represents the Antwerp province at home and abroad.

Cathy Berx served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITG) for 14 years. Today, she chairs the General Council of the ITG, the Flemish Forum for Traffic Safety, and the BELvue Fund Management Committee. She is also a member of the Boards of Monty Kultuurfaktorij, Bolster (successor to the Foundation and Friends of the Antwerp Conservatory), Campus Vesta, the High Council of the University of Antwerp, and the Advisory Committee for the Granting of Noble Titles, among others. 

During recent years, she published books and papers on a wide range of (policy) topics and participated in the Bilderberg Conference 2018 and Summer Davos of the World Economic Forum in Tianjin (China) in 2018.