Philippe Moureaux

Philippe Moureaux (born 12 April 1939 in Etterbeek) is a Belgian politician, senator, mayor of Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, and professor of economic history at the Université Libre de Bruxelles.

His first government post was a Minister of the Interior and Institutional Reform in the government of Wilfried Martens (Martens III) in 1980. Moureaux's name was attached to the _fr. loi contre le racisme et la xénophobie (Law against Racism and Xenophobia) of 30 July 1981 as he was then serving as Minister of Justice.

Resigning from the Federal Government in 1993, Moureaux's coalition defeated the incumbent mayor of Molenbeek Léon Spiegels at the 1994 council elections. A key part of Moureaux's campaign, then and since, was the involvement of ethnic minorities in the campaign, Mariem Bouselmati of Ecolo being the first Belgian of Moroccan origin elected in Molenbeek. In 2004, as a senator, Moureaux submitted the law granting the right of foreigners to vote. This strategic decision was took to reduce the weight of the Flemish minority in Brussels and around Brussels, as immigrants would probably vote for the strongest community, the French. Moureaux was re-elected as mayor in 2000 and 2006.

He holds the honorary title of Minister of State and is a member of the Order of Leopold II and the Order of Léopold.

Private life

As going into politics in Belgium is very much a family affair, Philippe Moureaux was a child of the liberal Minister Charles Moureaux. His mother is a descendent from the wealthy Blaton family, industrials who made their money with concrete. Philippe's brother, Serge Moureaux, is also into politics, as is Philippe's daughter, Catherine, a Socialist councillor in Schaerbeek. Philippe was married to fellow Socialist politician Françoise Dupuis.

External links

* [http://www.psmolenbeek.be Official site of Molenbeek PS]
* [http://www.inreallife.be/Articles/BELec2006Moureaux.php Philippe Moureaux, socialiste et moustachu]
* [http://www.wafin.be/interview/archives/intervmoureaux.phtml Interview with M. Philippe Moureaux, Mayor Molenbeek-Saint-Jean at Wafin.be (site of the Belgian-Moroccan community)]
* http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1fb34_philippe-moureaux

Select bibliography

"Les comptes d'une société charbonnière à la fin de l'Ancien Régime (La société de Redemont à Haine-St-Pierre - La Hestre)". Brussels, Palais des Académies, 1969. 248 p., illustrated, (Commission Royale d'Histoire).