Henri François Simonet (10 May 1931 – 15 February 1996) was a
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
politician.
Born in
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, Henri Simonet studied law and economics at the
ULB and then went to
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
as CRB Graduate Fellow. Simonet began his political life as a member of the
Socialist Party
Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of t ...
(PS). He served as mayor of
Anderlecht between 1966 and 1984, succeeding the long-serving
Joseph Bracops. Like Bracops, Simonet dominated the local political scene to such an extent that the ambitious
Philippe Moureaux moved to neighbouring
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean
(French, ) or (Dutch, ), often simply called Molenbeek, is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, from which it is separated b ...
to pursue a career there. In 1985 Simonet left the Socialists to join the
Liberal Reformist Party (PRL) where he espoused increasingly
atlanticist
Atlanticism, also known as Transatlanticism, is the belief in or support for a close relationship between the peoples and governments in Northern America (the United States and Canada) and those in Europe (the countries of the European Union, the ...
positions.
As mayor of Anderlecht, Simonet presided over considerable changes to what had been a largely industrial and working class community, attracting new development in the form of the Erasmus Hospital, a teaching hospital tied to the
ULB on whose administrative council Simonet served.
Christian D'Hoogh succeeded Simonet as mayor of Anderlecht.
Simonet served as vice-chairman of the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
from 1973 to 1977 and as Minister for Regional Economic Development in 1978 and 1979.
On the national plan, Simonet served as
Minister of Foreign Affairs
A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between co ...
and before as Minister of Economics Affairs.
His son
Jacques Simonet, who made his political career in the liberal
Liberal Reformist Party, served twice as
Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region (1999-2000; 2004) and as mayor of Anderlecht from 2000 until his death in 2007.
They are buried together in the cemetery of
Anderlecht
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1931 births
1996 deaths
Belgian European Commissioners
Foreign ministers of Belgium
Politicians from Brussels
Columbia University alumni
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