Maggie De Block facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maggie De Block
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| Minister of Health and Social Affairs | |
| In office 11 October 2014 – 1 October 2020 |
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| Prime Minister | Charles Michel Sophie Wilmès |
| Preceded by | Laurette Onkelinx |
| Succeeded by | Frank Vandenbroucke |
| Minister of Justice | |
| In office 25 July 2014 – 11 October 2014 |
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| Prime Minister | Elio Di Rupo |
| Preceded by | Annemie Turtelboom |
| Succeeded by | Koen Geens |
| State Secretary of Asylum, Migration, Social Integration, and Poverty Reduction | |
| In office 6 December 2011 – 11 October 2014 |
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| Prime Minister | Elio Di Rupo |
| Preceded by | Melchior Wathelet (Asylum and Migration) Philippe Courard (Social Integration and Poverty Reduction) |
| Succeeded by | Theo Francken (Asylum, Migration, and Reduction of Administrative Burden) Elke Sleurs (Poverty Reduction, Fraud Combat, and Science Policy) |
| Minister of Asylum and Migration | |
| In office 9 December 2018 – 1 October 2020 |
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| Prime Minister | Charles Michel Sophie Wilmès |
| Preceded by | Theo Francken (As State Secretary of Asylum, Migration, and Reduction of Administrative Burden) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 April 1962 Merchtem, Belgium |
| Political party | Open VLD (2007–present) VLD (1999–2007) |
| Alma mater | Vrije Universiteit Brussel |
Maggie Celine Louise De Block (born April 28, 1962) is a Belgian politician. She is a member of the Open VLD political party. Since 2020, she has been leading her party's group in the Belgian Parliament.
Before this, Maggie De Block served as the Minister of Social Affairs and Health. She held this important role in the governments led by Prime Ministers Charles Michel and Sophie Wilmès. This was from 2014 until 2020. In 2018, she also took on the responsibility for Asylum and Migration.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Maggie Celine Louise De Block was born in Merchtem, Belgium, on April 28, 1962. She was the first of three children. Her father worked for the Belgian railway company. Her mother became a housewife after Maggie's first brother was born. When Maggie was seven, her father died in a car accident. Five months later, her second brother was born.
Maggie De Block went to the Koninklijk Lyceum secondary school in Laeken. After finishing school, she studied medicine at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. In 1982, while still a student, she married Luc Asselman. They have two children. She later became a family doctor.
Political Journey
Starting in Parliament (1999–2011)
In 1999, Maggie De Block decided to run for the federal election. She joined the liberal party called Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten (VLD). She was elected as a Member of the Belgian Parliament. She represented the area of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde.
Early Government Roles (2011–2014)
After four years in Parliament, she became the Secretary of the Chamber of Representatives. She held this position for four years. In 2010, she also became the head of the Infrastructure Committee.
In December 2011, Maggie De Block was chosen for a new role. She became the Secretary of State for Asylum, Immigration, and Social Integration. This was part of the new Di Rupo Government.
In December 2012, she became the vice-chair of the Open VLD party. In March 2013, a French-speaking newspaper voted her "woman of the year." In 2013 and 2014, she was voted the most popular politician in Flanders.
In July 2014, she became the Minister of Justice. Her responsibilities included Asylum, Immigration, Social Integration, and Poverty Reduction.
Minister of Health (2014–2020)
In October 2014, Maggie De Block became the Minister of Social Affairs and Health. This was in the government led by Prime Minister Charles Michel. She said this role was "her dream." Some people criticized her for her weight, saying she wasn't a good example for a Health Minister. She replied that people should focus on what's inside, not just how someone looks.
During her time as Health Minister, she helped manage Belgium's response to the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa. In 2015, she worked with the Netherlands to buy medicines for rare diseases from drug companies.
By 2015, Maggie De Block was the most popular politician in all of Belgium. This included Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels.
In 2018, under her guidance, a large supply of FFP2 masks was destroyed because they were old. The masks were not replaced to save money. This decision caused problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. The shortage of masks made Belgium one of the countries most affected by the virus.
In September 2018, she decided to introduce plain packaging for all tobacco products in Belgium. This meant tobacco products would have simple, plain packaging.
On December 9, 2018, she took on the role of Asylum and Migration again. She had held this position in an earlier government. Her official title became Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health, and Asylum Policy and Migration.
During the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium, Maggie De Block managed the government's response. In May 2020, she asked European Union countries to work together to share face masks. By July 2020, she worried about the lack of cooperation with neighboring countries like France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Maggie De Block was not chosen for the government led by Alexander De Croo. She returned to being a regular member of the Belgian Parliament.
Other Important Work
In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) asked Maggie De Block to join a special group. This group, called the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development, works on health and development.
Also since 2020, she has been a member of the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance. This group works to fight against germs that become resistant to medicines. She also joined the WHO's Technical Advisory Group for One Health.
Awards
Belgium: Commander in the Order of Leopold II
