Anne-Marie Lizin

Anne -Marie Lizin - Vanderspeeten ( born January 5, 1949 in Huy, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium Province ) is a former Belgian politician of the Parti Socialiste ( PS), long-standing Mayor of Huy, member of both Houses of the Federal Parliament, and President of the Senate.

Belgium

Study, Mayor and MEP

After school she studied economics at the University of Liège and graduated with a licentiate.

Early on she became politically active in local politics to get involved and was initially 1970-1976 Member of the municipal council and aldermen ( Schepen ) by Ben - ahin. After the incorporation Ben- Ahins to Huy was in 1977 a member of the Municipal Council of Huy and has since become its member. She was also from 1980 to 1982 Councillor of the City Huy and finally from 1983 to 2009 Mayor of Huy.

Between 1973 and 1979 she was a consultant to the governments of Prime Minister Edmond Leburton, Leo Tindemans and Paul Vanden Boeynants initially for questions from the European Commission and then in 1977 the Foreign Ministry.

In 1979 she became a member of the 1st European Parliament for the PS and this was also during the second legislative period to 1988. During this time she was also involved in favor of European Nuclear Disarmament, a Europe-wide campaign of the peace movement.

Secretary of State, parliamentarians and Senate President

In May 1988, she gave up her seat in the European Parliament after she was appointed by Prime Minister Wilfried Martens Secretary of State for Europe, 1992 to the Minister for Foreign Trade in the Cabinet 8. This function they also retained in the 9th Cabinet Martens until 7 March 1992.

In addition, it was in 1991 elected a member of the Chamber of Deputies and was during the last until 1995 election is also a member of the Walloon Regional Council and the Council of the French Community. In addition, it was in 1992 was not only chairman of the board of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in matters of human rights, but also vice chairman of the Socialist International. Furthermore, it was between 1992 and 1996 chairman of the Socialist International Women.

After leaving the House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999 she was Co-opted Member of the Belgian Senate. At the same time she became a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE ) Parliamentary Assembly. In addition, it was from 1996 to 2002 Chairman of the Council of the French-speaking women ( Conseil des Femmes Francophones ). Since 1997 she is also a member of the Council for Equality between men and women and independent since 1998, expert of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. As such it was, for example, the head of a delegation during the Caucasus War of 2008.

Anne -Marie Lizin was elected senator from the French electoral college on 13 June 1999 and serves on the Senate ever since. Between 20 July 2004 and July 12, 2007 she was the first woman President of the Senate.

For her achievements, she was honored several times and received, among other things, on 11 May 2003, Commander Rank Order of Leopold. In addition, it has been 26 September 2005 Knights of the Legion of Honour. Lizin, which is also Freemason, a member of the Masonic Lodge Athena to Huy within the Frauengroßloge of Belgium.

Scandals and exclusion from the Parti Socialiste

As against them the charge of credit card fraud was raised in January 2009, took place on 27 January 2009 their exclusion from the Parti Socialiste. Since then, she's independent senator. In March 2009, she was forced to resign as Mayor of Huy because of another scandal. It came to accusations they operate organized clientelism in their community, as other politicians in the Walloon region in the recent past. In August 2009, she fell again into the focus of the press, but again the police after she had rammed the car of their successor willfully mayor, and former party colleague Micheline Toussaint Richardeau.