Walloon, French Community and Brussels governments all take shape
The PS announced Wednesday evening that Rudy Demotte is to stay on as minister-president of the Walloon government and of the French-speaking community, while Charles Picqué will continue to head the Brussels Capital-Region. PS chairman Elio Di Rupo stated that the PS will - given the major budgetary, social and economic challenges - concentrate on fixed values. This entails experienced ministers and members of parliament who have already demonstrated their qualities, he said. Demotte will take on another two experienced ministers and two newcomers. Jean-Claude Marcourt will assume the deputy minister-presidency in both Wallonia and the French-speaking community, as well as the Economy, Higher Education and Foreign Trade ministries. He will also be in charge of coordinating the so-called 'pôles de compétitivité', a priority in the extant `Marshall Plan'. Fadila Laanan will stay on as Minister of Culture, Audio-Visual Media and Healthcare in the French Community with the two newcomers being the regional members of parliament Paul Furlan and Elianne Tillieux. Furlan will be Walloon Minister for Domestic Administration and Tourism while Tillieux is to take over the Walloon mantle for Public Health and Social Affairs. Ecolo is in turn to delegate current parliamentary leader Jean-Marc Nollet to the Walloon government where he will be running the large Sustainable Development department, with Philippe Henry becoming the other Ecolo minister for the region, in charge of Environment, Spatial Planning, Mobility and Transport. Further north in the Brussels Capital-Region, Evelyne Huytebroeck stays on as Minister of Environment and Energy, with the addition of the Urban development portfolio. The other Ecolo post there goes to Christos Doulkeridis, who will become state secretary for Housing and Taxis. Both Nollet and Huytebroeck will also be in the French Community government.Finally also CdH revealed the names of its ministers. In the Walloon region Benoît Lutgen becomes minister of Infrastructure, Agriculture and Nature. André Antoine replaces the PS minister Michel Daerden as minister of Budget and Finance, whereas Marie-Dominique Simonet is responsible for Education in the French Community Government and Benoît Cerexhe remains the minister of Economy, Foreign Trade, Work and Scientific Research in the Brussels government. The Flemish members of the Brussels government are Jean-Luc Vanraes (Open VLD) on Finance and Budget, Brigitte Grouwels (CD&V) on Public Works, who shares public transport with Bruno Delille (Groen!), who will concentrate on infrastructure for cyclists.
De Standaard
/Antwerpen
; Thursday 16 July 2009
; p.1