New state secretary for Belgium

21 April 2008

BELGIUM – Former state secretary Frédéric Laloux was been replaced by party colleague Jean-Marc Delizée, a day after he resigned on Saturday.

Delizée was sworn in on Sunday afternoon.

The candidacy of Delizée was put forward by the chairman of the Francophone socialist party Elio Di Rupo.

The 48 year old Jean-Marc Delizée has a degree Germanic languages and a Master’s in Political Science and International Relations. He is bilingual.

Delizée has been an MP in the Chamber of Deputies for the province of Namur since 1993. Delizée is chairman of the Social Affairs parliamentary committee. He was also mayor of Viroinval for a number of years.

The former state secretary Frédéric Laloux has decided he had to resign his post to, "remain true to his values and engagement".

Laloux says that he could no longer be part of a team which he calls the "Star Academy of politics".

The government of Prime Minister Yves Leterme was sworn in on 20 March.

Frédéric Laloux seemed to appear almost out of no where. He first attracted media attention when he complained that he had no cabinet and had to do his work from his car.

As it turned out, this was just a media stunt- he did have an office, but it was apparently not fixed up sufficiently to his liking.

Within his own Francophone socialist (PS) party, there has been much contention regarding Laloux’s appointment as state secretary, especially because many established PS members did not get a post in the new government.

Recently, Philippe Moureaux, the number two in the PS, attacked Laloux openly. An investigation is also underway against Laloux in his home town of Namur for alleged abuse of petrol cards for officials.

Prime Minister Yves Leterme has accepted the state secretary’s resignation. PM Leterme has said he respects Laloux’s decision.

[flandersenews.be / Expatica]