Maggie De Block
| Maggie De Block | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of Social Affairs and Health | |
|
Assumed office 11 October 2014 | |
| Prime Minister | Charles Michel |
| Preceded by | Laurette Onkelinx |
| Minister of Justice | |
|
In office 25 July 2014 – 11 October 2014 | |
| Prime Minister | Elio Di Rupo |
| Preceded by | Annemie Turtelboom |
| Succeeded by | Koen Geens |
| State Secretary of Asylum, Migration, Social Integration and Poverty Reduction | |
|
In office 6 December 2011 – 11 October 2014 | |
| Prime Minister | Elio Di Rupo |
| Preceded by |
Melchior Wathelet (Asylum and Migration) Philippe Courard (Social Integration and Poverty Reduction) |
| Succeeded by |
Theo Francken (Asylum, Migration and Reduction of Administrative Burden) Elke Sleurs (Poverty Reduction, Fraud Combat and Science Policy) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
28 April 1962 Merchtem, Belgium |
| Political party | Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats |
Maggie Celine Louise De Block, (born 28 April 1962) is a Belgian politician and member of the Flemish liberal party Open Vld.[1] In 2013 and 2014, she was voted the most popular politician in Flanders. In February 2015, she was voted the most popular politician in Belgium, being the most popular in all three regions. She holds the portfolio of Minister of Social Affairs and Health in the Michel Government. She has received a lot of negative publicity regarding her obesity.
Background
De Block was born in Merchtem. She studied medicine at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) after which she became a general practitioner for 25 years. Her brother, Eddie De Block, is the mayor of Merchtem.
Political career
From 1999 to 2011 Maggie De Block was a Member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives for the electoral district Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde.
She became the Secretary of State for Asylum, Immigration and Social Integration in the Di Rupo Government in December 2011.[2] In December 2012, she became the vice-chair of the Open Vld party. She later became Minister of Justice charged with Asylum, Immigration, Social Integration and Poverty Reduction in the Di Rupo Government in July 2014.[3]
In March 2013, she was voted woman of the year by readers of the francophone newspaper La Libre Belgique.[4] In 2013 and 2014 polls, she became the most popular Flemish politician, ahead of the Minister-President of Flanders Kris Peeters.[5]
In the Michel Government formed in October 2014, she became Minister of Social Affairs and Health. When taking the oath, she described the portfolio as "her dream".[6] Critics have said that she does not set the right example as Health Minister due to her obesity, and she has answered that "I know I'm not a model but you have to see what's inside, not the packaging".[7] In the position, she was involved in coordinating the Belgian response to the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa.
In 2015, she became the most popular politician in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels - making her the most popular politician in Belgium.[8]
References
- ↑ "Madame Maggie De Block". Belgium.be. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
- ↑ "Maggie De Block populairste Vlaamse politica". Knack. 24 Mar 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
- ↑ Maggie De Block CV. Retrieved on 2014-09-15.
- ↑ "Maggie De Block, Femme de l'année de LaLibre.be". La Libre. 8 Mar 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
- ↑ "Maggie De Block is populairste politicus". deredactie.be. 12 November 2013.
- ↑ "Maggie De Block: "Dit is een droom die uitkomt"". Het Laatste Nieuws. 11 October 2014.
- ↑ "Is she too fat to be a Health Minister?". Mirror.
- ↑ lbo. "Maggie De Block nu ook populairste in Wallonië en Brussel". De Standaard (in Dutch).
External links
Media related to Maggie De Block at Wikimedia Commons
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Annemie Turtelboom |
Minister of Justice 2014 |
Succeeded by Koen Geens |
| Preceded by Laurette Onkelinx |
Minister of Social Affairs and Health 2014–present |
Incumbent |