Professor Petra De Sutter has made history by becoming the first transgender member of Belgium’s parliament, and becoming the second trans MP in Europe.

De Sutter, who is head of the Reproductive Medicine Department of the University Hospital Ghent, as well as an associate professor of gynaecology, recently ran in the European elections as a part of the Belgian Groen (Green) Party. However, the party only managed to secure one seat, which went to Bart Staes.

Despite losing out on becoming an MEP, she has now been co-opted by the Green Party as a member of the Belgian senate.

As of earlier this year, reforms in the Belgian government mean that there is no public election, but instead 50 senators are appointed from regional parliaments and another 10 are co-opted by their political peers.

Petra De Sutter is the second transgender parliamentarian currently serving in Europe, joining Polish MP and 2013 Dublin Pride parade grand marshall Anna Grodzka.