Miet Smet (born 5 April 1943) is 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 for the

Christian Democratic and Flemish Christian Democratic and Flemish (, , CD&V) is a Flemish Christian-democratic political party in Belgium. The party has historical ties to both trade unionism ( ACV) and trade associations (UNIZO) and the Farmer's League. Until 2001, the party wa ...

party (CD&V).

Career

In 1988, Smet became the president of the European Centre for Workers' Questions, a position which she held till 1995.

Career in national politics

Smet was the founder (1973) and first president (until 1982) of the Christian People's Party political women's organisation, Vrouw en Maatschappij (Woman and Society). She was elected to the

Belgian Chamber of People's Representatives The Chamber of Representatives (Dutch: , french: link=no, Chambre des représentants, german: link=no, Abgeordnetenkammer) is one of the two chambers in the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Senate. It is considered to ...

in 1978. In 1985 she became State Secretary of Environmental Affairs, and negotiated an Equal Opportunities portfolio. While Smet's competencies cover all aspects of social emancipation, she focused on violence against women, women's economic position and their participation in decision-making. When Miet Smet became Minister of Labour and Employment in 1991, she kept the Equal Opportunities portfolio.

Member of the European Parliament

When she was offered first place in the CD&V list for the European elections in 1999 instead of

Wilfried Martens Wilfried Achiel Emma Martens (; 19 April 1936 – 9 October 2013) was a Belgian politician who served as prime minister of Belgium from 1979 to 1981 and from 1981 to 1992. A member of the Flemish Christian People's Party, during his premiership ...

, Martens, at the instigation of then-wife Ilse Schouteden, refused to run at all. Miet Smet was a

Member of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...

from 1999 to 2004. She became a Minister of State in 2002, and has been a member of the

Flemish Parliament The Flemish Parliament (Dutch: , formerly called Flemish Council or ''Vlaamse Raad'') constitutes the legislative power in Flanders for matters which fall within the competence of Flanders, both as a geographic region and as a cultural communi ...

since 2004, and a Belgian senator since 2007. In 2009, Smet was elected president of the Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (

AWEPA The Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA) is an international parliamentary association that is strictly non-partisan, founded by European parliamentarians in 1984. In cooperation with African parliaments, AWEPA works to st ...

), taking over from former president Dr.

Jan Nico Scholten Jan Nico Scholten (born 4 June 1932 in Dalen) is a former Dutch politician. Scholten studied law and political science at VU University Amsterdam. After being mayor of the municipalities Andel, Giessen and Rijswijk for nine years and Chairman o ...

Personal life

On 27 September 2008, Miet married fellow CD&V politician and former

Belgian Prime Minister german: Premierminister von Belgien , insignia = State Coat of Arms of Belgium.svg , insigniasize = 100px , insigniacaption = Coat of arms , insigniaalt = , flag = Government ...

. After the death of Martens' first wife, Lieve Verschroeven, the marriage was confirmed in the Catholic Church on 27 April 2013.

Other activities

Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies The Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, also known as the Martens Centre and previously as the ''Centre for European Studies'', is a think tank and political foundation of the European People's Party (EPP). As the central link of a l ...

, Member of the Academic Council

Honours

* 2002 : Minister of state by Royal Decree. * 2004 : Grand Officer in the Order of Leopold. * 2002 : Dame Grand Cross in the

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

References

External links

Archives of Miet Smet
i
ODIS - Online Database for Intermediary Structures
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smet, Miet 1943 births Living people Christian Democratic and Flemish politicians Flemish politicians Members of the Belgian Federal Parliament Belgian Ministers of State Grand Crosses 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Christian Democratic and Flemish MEPs MEPs for Belgium 1999–2004 20th-century women MEPs for Belgium 21st-century women MEPs for Belgium Belgian Roman Catholics Women government ministers of Belgium