Laurette Onkelinx

Infobox_Politician
name = Laurette Onkelinx


caption =
birth_date = Birth date and age|1958|10|2|mf=y
birth_place = Ougrée (Liège, Walloon, Belgium
office = Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health
term_start = December 21, 2007
term_end =
predecessor = Rudy Demotte
successor =
constituency =
office2 = Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice
term_start2 = July 11, 2003
term_end2 = December 21, 2007
predecessor2 = Marc Verwilghen
successor2 = Jo Vandeurzen
constituency2 =
office3 = Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour and Transport
term_start3 = May 5, 2003
term_end3 = July 11, 2003
predecessor3 = Himsef as Minister of Labour
Isabelle Durant as Minister of Transport
successor3 = Renaat Landuyt as Minister of Transport
Peter Vanvelthoven as Minister of Labour
constituency3 =
office4 = Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour
term_start4 = July 12, 1999
term_end4 = May 5, 2003
predecessor4 = Miet Smet
successor4 = Himself as Minister of Labour and Transport
constituency4 =
office5 = Minister of Social Integration, Public Health and Environment
term_start5 = March 7, 1992
term_end5 = May 4, 1993
predecessor5 = Philippe Busquin
successor5 = Jacques Santkin
constituency5 =
party = Socialist Party
religion =
occupation = politician
majority =
spouse =
children =

Laurette A.J. Onkelinx (born October 2 1958) is a Belgian politician from the Francophone Socialist Party. She is the current Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health in the Belgian federal government, i.e. the Leterme I Government, which took office on March 20, 2008. [cite web|url=http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/mopdf/2008/03/21_2.pdf|title=20 March 2008 – Royal Orders. Government – Dismissals – Appointments|publisher=The Belgian Official Journal|date=2008-03-21|pages=pp. 3–4|accessdate=2008-03-30|language=Dutch/French]

She graduated in law at the University of Liège after which she worked for 10 years as a lawyer. At the age of 30 she was elected to the Belgian Chamber of Representatives.

Her father, Gaston Onkelinx, originally a Dutch-speaking migrant from Flemish Limburg to francophone Wallonia, has long been mayor of Seraing (near Liège) and member of the House of Representatives (1974-1987). Her older brother, Alain Onkelinx, is since September 2005 member of the Regional Parliament of Wallonia.

In October 2007 she stunned the public opinion by comparing the Flemish (60% of the Belgian population) with 'mérules (serpula lacrymans)' (a type of fungus) that threaten the country. [ [http://www.ambafrance-be.org/article-imprim.php3?id_article=2276] Press review of French embassy in Brussels]

Political career

First elected to the Belgian House of Representatives in 1988, she has since held several ministerial posts:

*Minister of Social Integration, Public Health and Environment (1992-1993)
*Minister-President and Minister of the Civil Service, Child's healthcare and Promotion of Health in the French Community (1993-1995)
*Minister-President and Minister of Education, Media, Youth, Child's healthcare and Promotion of Health in the French Community (1995-1999)
*Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour (1999 - 2003)
*Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour and Transport (2003)
*Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice (July 2003 - December 2007)
*Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health (December 2007 - current)

References and sources

* [http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/989/Binnenland/article/detail/111403/2007/12/20/Biografie-Laurette-Onkelinx-PS.dhtml Laurette Onkelinx] (Dutch)

External links

* [http://www.laurette-onkelinx.be/ Laurette Onkelinx]