Freya Van den Bossche

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Freya Van den Bossche
Flemish Meenister
Personal details
Born	(1975-03-26) 26 Mairch 1975 (age 49) Ghent, Belgium
Naitionality	Belgian
Spoose(s)	Tobias Wurm (1999-2005) Dennis Van de Weghe (2006-2007)
Bairns	Ariane, Billie, Moses
Thrift	politeecian

Freya Van den Bossche (born 26 Mairch 1975 in Ghent, Belgium) is a Belgian, Flemish politeecian an dochter o prominent umwhile Belgian politeecian Luc Van den Bossche. She is memmer o the SP.a poleetical pairty, an she wis Deputy Prime Meenister an Meenister o Budget an Consumer Protection in the Belgian federal govrenment. She wis the youngest iver meenister appointit in Belgium.

Van den Bossche follaeed her seicontary eddication at the Royal Atheneum Voskenslaan in Ghent. She studiet law frae 1993 tae 1995 at the University o Ghent, but did no obtain a degree, an ultimately graduatit frae the University o Ghent wi a Maisters degree in Communication Sciences in 1999. Frae 1996 tae 1997, she studiet at the University o Amsterdam as pairt o an exchynge programme.

In 2006, while she wis vice-premier in the federal govrenment, Knack, a prominent Flemish magazine in Belgium allegit that she haed no written the obligatory thesis for her Maisters degree hersel. Rather, due tae the complexity o the thesis she submittitd, Knack jurnalist Koen Meulenaere allegit that the thesis haed actually been written bi Frank De Moor, a umwhile Knack jurnalist an a friend o Freya Van den Bossche's fauther an aw, the prominent socialist politeecian, Luc Van den Bossche. Knack postit a version o her thesis online, but affered nae ither proof. Van den Bossche subsequently submitted a creeminal complaint against Koen Meulenaere for slander an defamation. [2] In response tae a quaisten posed bi the Flemish newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws on whether she did in fact write her thesis, Ms. Van den Bossche replee'd: "Wad that mak a difference? A can show you ma notes acause A hae nothing tae hide". Knack ultimately remuivit the thesis frae its wabsteid an ceased coverage o the matter. [3]

Frae 1999 tae 2000, she foond employment as an Attachée, responsible for communication an drog-relatit problems, o the Mayor o Ghent Frank Beke.

Van den Bossche first came tae naitional attention in Belgium in a televisit debatin competeetion atween candidates in a municipal election who wur the childer o well-kent politeecians. She performit strangly in the debate an wis considered bi mony tae be vera attractive an airticulate. In addition, durin the campaign her election advertisin includit a postcard o a black an white photograph that includit her lang bare legs that wis quite revealing, showin a black slip. Pairtly as a result o thir profile biggin exercises, Van den Bossche polled well an wis electit in that municipal poll in 2000.

She wis quickly promotit an wis put on her Social Democrat Pairty's leet in East Flanders for the federal parliament in 2003, attractin 105,000 votes. On 12 Julie 2003 she wis appointit the youngest meenister in Belgium's history^[1] appointit agit 28 as Meenister o Environment, Consumer Affairs an Sustainable Development in Govrenment Verhofstadt II. In Julie 2004, she became responsible for Wirk an Consumer Affairs. Efter the depairtur o Johan Vande Lanotte in October 2005 she wis again promotit, this time tae acome the naition's Deputy Prime Meenister an Meenister o Budget an Consumer Affairs. She lost that poseetion in 2008 when the govrenment fell.

In a recent poll she wis ratit as the seiventh maist popular politeecian in Belgium. A Spainyie newspaper includit her in an internet poll o the warld's maist bonnie female politeecians.^[2]

Time magazine wrote aboot her^[3]:

But by the time she ran for national parliament as a Flemish Socialist (SP.A) candidate in 2003, the law required that both sexes be represented in the top three slots on every party list — so her name was placed in a vote-getting position no novice male would have enjoyed. And part of her popularity, it must be said, has to do with her bright blue eyes and throaty voice. Van den Bossche regularly pops up on "sexiest Belgians" lists. "Some people assume I'm here because of my looks or because of parity laws," she says. "My job is to prove them wrong. Maybe these factors have helped, but I hope that in four years, people will be talking about my policies."

Van den Bossche haes twa dochters, Ariane (born 1999) an Billie (born on 30 Juin 2005), an ane son, Moses (born on 29 November 2009). On 29 December 2006, Van den Bossche marriet^[4] Dennis Van de Weghe frae Ghent, ane o her umwhile cabinet colleagues. The marriage did no last lang, wi the couple separatin shortly efter.

1. ↑ "Time article on gender quotas". Archived frae the original on 22 September 2003. Retrieved 22 September 2003.
2. ↑ [1] Internet poll of beautiful politicians
3. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived frae the original on 22 September 2003. Retrieved 22 September 2003.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
4. ↑ News report o Van den Bossche weddin

• [4]
• [5]
• Biography of Van den Bossche Archived 2012-04-08 at the Wayback Machine