Etienne Schouppe
Etienne Schouppe Adolf ( born July 24, 1942 in Denderleeuw ) is a Belgian politician of the Christian - Democratisch en Vlaams (CD & V). Before entering politics, he was a managing administrator of the Belgian Railways ( NMBS / SNCB). Schouppe was from 2003 to 2010 and senator since 2008 Federal State Secretary for Mobility. At the local level Etienne Schouppe was eleven years mayor of Liedekerke. In 2010, he announced his retirement from politics.
Life
Belgian railway company
Etienne Schouppe occurred after a short experience in an insurance company in 1963 in the service of the NMBS / SNCB, studied simultaneously at the Erasmus Handelshogeschool in Brussels and received in 1967 his diploma for licentiate in commercial and financial sciences. He then rose to within the railway company and eventually became general manager in 1986 and in 1991 was promoted to the Chief Executive Officer. This position gave him access to some international clients, including the presidency of the Union internationale des chemins de fer (UIC ) (2002 to 2003). In his time at the top of the NMBS / SNCB Schouppe spurred especially the upgrade of the Belgian rail network for high-speed lines.
The end of his career with the railroad company was ushered in at the beginning of the 2000s, as Isabelle Durant ( Ecolo ), Minister criticized for transportation and mobility in the government Verhofstadt I under Guy Verhofstadt (VLD ), the opaque account management and enormous debt of the railway company. There was a tug of war between Etienne Schouppe and the Government, which ended with the government, the railway company restructured and at the same time looking for a new CEO. In 2002, the NMBS / SNCB subsidiary ABX Logistics was partly privatized and Schouppe after he had renounced his own succession at the NMBS / SNCB, was appointed Executive Chairman. Due to the financial difficulties of ABX the new Board of NMBS / SNCB, however, decided to replace Schouppe from February 2003.
His entry into federal politics in 2003 founded Schouppe among other things, that he by the Belgian policy treated badly felt.
Political career
During his time at the NMBS / SNCB had Etienne Schouppe first contact with politics. In 1975 he was a consultant for railway issues in the Cabinet of the Minister Jos Chabert (CVP ), and even increased in 1986 under Secretary of State Paula D' Hondt (CVP ) Chef de Cabinet on.
His leap into federal politics managed Schouppe in the elections of 2003, where he was selected for the CD & V in the Senate. There he sat until 2007 in opposition. As in 2007, the CD & V, with its cartel partners N -VA won the federal election for himself and party chairman Jo Vandeurzen as Minister of Justice joined the transitional government Verhofstadt III, the acting chair of the CD & V was on 20 December 2007 at Schouppe. However, this internal party office, he had to give up on 20 March 2008 again, after he had been appointed to the federal State Secretary for Mobility in the government Leterme I under Prime Minister Yves Leterme (CD & V). He held this post also made in the successor governments Van Rompuy and Leterme II.
At the local level is Schouppe since 1977 Member of the Municipal Council in Liedekerke. From 1983 to 1988 he was active in his community as an alderman and as mayor from 1989 to 2000.
In the early federal elections of 2010 Etienne Schouppe spite of a good personal result does not defend his seat in the Senate. After the CD & V party leadership announced that should the office of the co-opted Senators to Peter Van Rompuy, son of European Council President Herman Van Rompuy (CD & V), go, let Schouppe announced in July 2010 that he would end his political career.
End of July 2010 Schouppe was accused of possible insider trading ( he did during the financial crisis from 2007, the shares of two banking companies sold just before they had to take a backup of the Belgian State to complete and its share price thus greatly decreased ).