Louis Michel (born September 2, 1947) was until July 2004 the Belgian foreign minister. He is currently on the Belgian seat of the European Commission. He is also the mayor of the municipality of Jodoigne in Walloon Brabant. He is a member, and most prominent figure, of the Belgian French-speaking liberal party, the Mouvement Réformateur (MR).

Early professional career

From 1968 to 1978, before dedicating his life to his political career, Louis Michel taught English, Dutch and German in the Provincial School of Jodoigne, a rural town 25 miles from Brussels.

Political career

From 1967 to 1977, he was chairman of the Young Liberals in the district of Nivelles. Then he became alderman in Jodoigne from 1977 to 1983, "secretary-general" of the Parti Réformateur Libéral (PRL) political party from 1980 to 1982 and chairman of the PRL from 1982 to 1990 and from 1995 to 1999.

He was a member of the Belgian federal parliament from 1978 to 2004, first as a representative (1978-1999) and then as a senator (1999-2004).

He was the Belgian foreign minister and Vice Prime Minister from 1999 to 2004, until in July 2004, the Verhofstadt government appointed Michel as its candidate for the Belgian seat on the European Commission led by José Manuel Durão Barroso, to replace former commissioner Philippe Busquin . He was nominated on August 12, 2004 to become EU commissioner starting in November 2004.

As part of a political agreement, Busquin resigned early in September 2004 to give Louis Michel an early opportunity to serve on the European Commission. He completed Busquin's term as the European Commissioner for Science and Research and now serves as the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Development.

He is also the mayor of the municipality of Jodoigne in Walloon Brabant and has been since 1983.

Titles

In 1995, he was appointed Minister of State , a honorific title given to prominent Belgian politicians.

• • Knight, Officer and Commander in the Order of Leopold
  • Médaille civique de la classe
  • Grand-Croix de l'ordre Royal Suédois de l'Etoile Polaire
  • Grand-Croix de l'ordre "Infante Dom Henrique"
  • Grand-Cross in the Order of Orange-Nassau
  • Grand-Cross in the Order of Isabella the Catholic
  • Grand-Cross in the Order of Dannebrog
  • Grand-Croix de l'ordre de l'Honneur
  • Grand-Croix de l'ordre de l'Etoile de la Roumanie
  • Grand officer in the Order of the Pléiade (Ordre de la Francophonie et du dialogue des cultures)
  • Grand Officer in the Légion d'honneur
  • Grand Cordon de l'ordre du Mérite
  • Ordre "Stara Planina" de 1ére classe

Publications

• • Horizons : la volonté d'impliquer le citoyen dans la politique internationale, 2004, editions Luc Pire, with introduction by Kofi Annan and Guy Verhofstadt
  • Les nouveaux enjeux de la politique étrangère belge, 2003, editions Larcier
  • L'Europe, je veux savoir : 110 questions simple sur le grans univers européen, 2001, 2003 et 2004, Editions Luc Pire
  • L'axe du Bien, 2003 Editions Luc Pire
  • Contre le racisme, J'agis. La conférence mondiale contre le Racisme, la discrimination raciale, la Xénophobie et l'intolérance qui y est associée, 2002
  • Lettre aux citoyens de mon pays, 1999, 2003, et 2004
  • Objectif 100, La Wallonie j'y crois!, 1988, PRL-Editions
  • Rendre confiance, 1998, Editions Luc Pire, Collection politique
  • Wallons et Optimismes, 1997, Editions Luc Pire, Collection politique
  • De Echte Walen, 1997, Editions Luc Pire, Collection politique
  • Libres et forts, projet éducatif pour réussir le futur, 1986
  • L'enfant, with collaboration of Philippe Monfils, 1984
  • Le défi vert with collaboration of Daniel Ducarme , 1980.

See also

• Antoine Dusquene
• Jean Gol
• Charles Michel , his son
• Didier Reynders

External links

• Official page on the Commission web site
• Personal web site (in French) - suspended