Marie Arena
Marie Arena ( born December 17, 1966 in Mons ) is a Belgian politician of the Parti Socialiste (PS). She was Minister of the Walloon Region and by 2009 federal Minister. Arena was by Laurette Onkelinx (PS ), the second Prime Minister of the French Community. After the regional elections of 2009, it was replaced in the Federal government and is now meeting as a federal senator.
Curriculum vitae
Although Marie Arena has Italian roots - her father, a miner, came from Sicily - but she claims to have only a weak bond with the home of their family. It is Lizenziatin of economics at the Facultés universitaires Catholiques de Mons ( FUCAM ). Before she her political career, she was almost 10 years since 1990, the official Walloon Labour Office ( youth space ).
Arena is divorced and has two children.
Political career
Marie Arena is a member of the Parti Socialiste (PS ) since 1998. Her political career began in 1999 when she ( PS), started working in the office of the then Walloon Minister of Employment and Training, Michel Daerden.
Although she was still completely unknown to the public, it was proposed in 2000 by party president Elio Di Rupo, as Walloon Minister for Employment and Training in the government under Jean- Claude Van Cauwenberghe (PS). There they remained until 2003, when she Guy Verhofstadt (VLD ) joined the federal government Verhofstadt II and was Minister for Public Office, Social Integration, cities, gender equality and intercultural dialogue.
After the regional elections of 2004, she transferred to the Community level, where it was after Laurette Onkelinx (PS ) from 2004 to 2008, the second Prime Minister of the French Community and at the same time held the office of the Walloon Minister of Education. Your premiership was however quite unhappy: The fact that she allegedly had an overpriced shower in her cabinet can be installed, created a scandal in the media and in public opinion. Also, a decree in the French Community the name " Arena decree" bears and that should a social mix (French mixité sociale) promote the French-speaking schools, ensured excited minds in public: parents were meter long queues in front of " Elite schools ' capital to enroll their children there on time, and had to stay unprotected in the cold of winter.
In 2008, Arena left the presidency of the French Community Minister Rudy Demotte (PS ) to be federal minister for pensions, social inclusion and large cities in the government Leterme I under Minister Yves Leterme (CD & V). Walloon your ministerial posts they had given to Marc Tarabella (PS ) in 2007. In her new position she had, among other things, a sharp dispute with their government colleague, the Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy Annemie Turtelboom (Open VLD), which in contrast to Arena a rigid stance on the issue of so-called " sans papiers " preferred.
As regards local politics, as laid Marie Arena domiciled first from Mons to Chimay, and then just before the local elections from 2000 to Binche. In the elections, the PS but lost 10 seats and Arena had to press the opposition benches. In the local elections of 2006, however Arena could as leading candidate to gain back 3 seats, allowing the PS to regain the majority. In 2008, even before the end of the legislative period, caused a stir Arena by she moved again had (after Forest / Vorst in the Brussels- Capital Region) and thus withdraw from the council of Binche.
After the regional elections of 2009, the federal government, which was led in the interim by Herman Van Rompuy (CD & V) was reshuffled (see Government Van Rompuy ). This arena had their ministerial posts to Michel Daerden ( horsepower ), who came from the Walloon Region, passed. Today, Marie Arena meets again as a federal parliamentarian. She left in 2010, the Chamber of Deputies, to which she belonged since 2003, and was elected to the Senate.