Robert Urbain
Robert Urbain | |
---|---|
Minister of State | |
Assumed office 1998 | |
Member of the Chamber of Representatives (Belgium) | |
In office 1971–1995 | |
Senator | |
In office 1995–1999 | |
Mayor of Boussu | |
In office 1977–2006 | |
Belgian Commissioner General for Expo 2010 | |
In office 2006–2009 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Belgium | November 24, 1930
Died | November 9, 2018 | (aged 87)
Occupation | Politician, teacher |
Robert Urbain (24 November 1930 – 9 November 2018) was a Belgian politician who served as Minister of State from 1998.[1]
Career
[edit]A certified teacher of secondary education in mathematics and physics, Robert Urbain began his professional career in 1950 as a mathematics teacher in École normale (Normal school) in Mons.[2] In 1958, he joined the provincial administration of Hainaut, where he held various positions until 1971, the year he was elected deputy for the Mons constituency.[3] He held this mandate until 1995, and then served as an elected senator from 1995 to 1999. At the local level, he was mayor of Boussu from 1977 to 2006.[4]
In June 2006, he was appointed Belgian Commissioner General for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. In August 2009, he resigned from this position in a tense atmosphere,[5] just as the cornerstone for the Belgian pavilion was about to be laid, and was replaced by his deputy, Leo Delcroix.[6]
In February 2011, in the context of the Arab revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, controversy resurfaced in the press regarding alleged ties between Colonel Gaddafi and the politician from Borinage.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Boussu: Robert Urbain, ancien ministre et bourgmestre durant 30 ans, est décédé (in French)
- ^ "Death of Minister of State Robert Urbain". La Dernière Heure (in French). IPM Group. 2018-11-10. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ "Former minister Robert Urbain has died". L'Echo (in French). Mediafin. 2018-11-10. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ "Former mayor of Boussu Robert Urbain has died at the age of 87". L'Avenir (in French). Vers l'Avenir. 2018-11-10. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ Paquet, Philippe (2009-08-04). "Leo Delcroix wants to reign over Shanghai 2010". La Libre (in French). IPM Group. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ Steffens, Eric (2022-11-04). "Former minister Leo Delcroix has died; he ended compulsory military service". VRT NWS (in French). Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ Gilain, André (2011-03-06). ""Kadhafi has no reason to leave!"". La Dernière Heure (in French). IPM Group. Retrieved 2025-06-04.