Rudi Vervoort

Rudi Vervoort ( born November 20, 1958 in Sint -Agatha - Berchem ) is a Belgian politician from Brussels. Since May 2013, is Prime Minister of the Brussels Capital Region.

Background and education

Rudi Vervoort grew up in Evere, a municipality in the Brussels Capital Region, on. Therefore, the son of a French-speaking mother and a Dutch-speaking father ( Sergeant of the Air Force ), he speaks French well Dutch.

Rudi Vervoort is a lawyer, with the degree of licentiate in law ( ULB), and lives in Evere.

Political career

Since February 1998, Vervoort mayor of Evere. Politically he is a member of PS (French -speaking Socialists ) and was from 2012 to 2013 as Vice President. Furthermore, it has been 29 June 1999 Member of the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as parliamentary leader ( "President" ) of the PS group. Since July 6, 2004, he is also a member of the Parliament of the French Community.

7 May 2013 Rudi Vervoort took over the Eidablegung the Office of the Prime Minister of the Brussels Capital Region, succeeding Charles Piqué, who held this office for the first time occupied in 1989.

This was surprising, since Vervoort had his party colleague Laurette Onkelinx considered in the discussion about the succession of Piqué in June 2011 as a "natural candidate for the succession of Piqué ". Through its strong support for Onkelinkx he left no doubt that the other two candidates Kir and Mayeur would not come to him in question. But Piqué found himself Vervoort well suitable for the sensitive task of the Brussels Prime Minister, because he wanted this as his successor.

For headlines in Flemish newspapers Rudi Vervoorts made ​​announcement that should any student who leaves school in Brussels, at least French and Dutch, the two official languages ​​of the city dominate in the future. This has met with a positive response in Flanders, since so far on this issue on the part of French speakers rather an indifferent attitude prevailed and paper and reality no longer coincide in a long time. However, given the changes in recent years and the fact that in many families now neither Brussels French is still spoken Dutch, this initiative of the Prime Minister has also probably strengthen the purpose of the Belgian sense of community.

However, Rudi Vervoort sees his initiative, especially in light of the high rate of youth unemployment, the fight he considered a priority. He is convinced that much more Walloons and French-speaking Brussels job could find, once they have learned both languages ​​, especially in the Brussels region. He concedes, however, that it is still there on the French side have great reservations, so here is a thick board is to drill and fast results are not to be expected. However, he is confident because he has already found the first signs of a change of mind.