Geert Bourgeois attended secondary school at Saint Joseph's College in Izegem before he went on to read law at Ghent University from 1970 to 1975.

[1] During his time at secondary school, he became a member of the Catholic Student Action (Katholieke Studentenactie – KSA).

In 1966, he set up, along with his brother Kris and his classmate Koen Baert, a Blue Banner group of Father Boucquillon.

He later became involved with the Flemish Nationalist Student Union (Vlaams-Nationale Studentenunie) and the Language Action Committee (Taal Aktie Komitee).

He joined the national board of the Volksunie party, and from 1990 until 1993, served as chairman of the Association of Flemish (political) Office Holders.

In the federal Chamber of Representatives, he primarily focused on legal affairs and matters concerning Belgium's different Communities.

He gained nationwide acclaim for his activities as a member of the Dutroux Committee and the role he played in the Octopus negotiations.

Bourgeois was not prepared to back this agreement, in spite of the fact that it had been approved by the Volksunie's party board.

Around this time, Geert Bourgeois put together the so-called "Oranjehofgroep" (which would go on to become the bedrock of the N-VA) along with people such as Frieda Brepoels, Eric Defoort, Ben Weyts and Bart De Wever.

The Oranjehofgroup was a group of Flemish nationalist Volksunie members who opposed the direction in which the party was being taken by Anciaux.

The antagonisms between Bourgeois' Flemish Nationalist wing which wanted the VU to pursue a conservative, independent Flemish Nationalist direction, and the wing helmed by Bert Anciaux, who was looking to merge the Volksunie with its progressive programme with another political party, eventually resulted in the break-up of the VU.

[5] Since at least 50% of the votes had to be gained to earn the right to continue under the Volksunie name, Bourgeois and his supporters set up a new party in November 2001: the New Flemish Alliance (Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie N-VA).

[6] From 2001 until 2004, Bourgeois served as the first party chairman of the N-VA which engaged in fierce opposition against the "purple" coalition government.

In his book entitled De puinhoop van Paars-groen (The Shambles of Purple-Green), he heaped scathing criticism on the Belgian government that had been in power from 1999 to 2002.

The title of the book was a reference to Pim Fortuyn's De puinhopen van acht jaar Paars which criticized the Dutch purple coalitions.

On 22 September 2008, he tendered his resignation as a serving Minister in the Government of Flanders, in the wake of which the cartel with CD&V – of which Bourgeois has been one of the architects – was ended.