 Between 1988 and 1995 she also was municipal councillor and from 1995 up to 1999 alderman of Ghent for education.In 1999, she was elected to the Chamber of Representatives.In 2003, she joined the government Verhofstadt II as Minister of Economy, Energy, Foreign Trade and Science Policy, but in July 2004 she left the Federal Government to become the Flemish Minister of Economy, Enterprises, Innovation, Science and Foreign Trade.