Jean Gol

Background

His Jewish parents were living in exile in England during the Second World War when he was born. After the Second World War, Gol grew up in Belgium and studied law.

Education

University of Liège, Doctor of Law, 195964. Diploma in Advanced Studies of Legal Science, Public and Administrative Law, 1969. Spoken languages: French, English, Dutch.

Career

He was a minister, on several occasions, in the Belgian government, including service as Deputy Prime Minister. He obtained a doctorate in law at the University of Liège. He started his political career within the ranks of the Rassemblement Wallon in 1971.

Public offices In 1974, he was Secrétariat d"État à l"Economie régionale wallonne in the government Tindemans World War II In 1976, he was one of the co-founders of the Parti des Réformes et des Libertés de Wallonie (PRLW), a merger of the liberal Walloon PLP, and some dissidents of the Rassemblement Wallon.

During the governments Martens V-VII, of 17 December 1981 up to 9 May 1988, he was: vice-premier, minister of justice and institutional reform. From 6 January 1985 up to 28 November 1985, Jean Gol replaced Willy De Clercq on the department of foreign trade.

Leadership within Francophone circles In May 1992, he became president of the Parliament, and in 1993 he was one of the architects of the Parliament-FDF Federation, in collaboration with Antoinette Spaak. Contribution to political theory He died of a sudden illness in 1995.

He received the following honorific distinctions.

Achievements

• Jean Gol has been listed as a notable Belgian politician by Marquis Who's Who.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Le monde de la presse en Belgique

Religion

Agnostic

Politics

Over a long period he was noted for his ability to empathize with local Walloon and Liégeois leaders from diverse political backgrounds, including with veteran Walloon Socialist André Cools. Out of these efforts emerged what became known as the "Colonster" group, which partly proved to be the catalyst for a strengthening of collective Francophone responses by way of counterweight to the increasing influence of Flemish-based parties in Belgium. He re-defined the doctrine of social liberalism, which he had already worked on in 1976.

Membership

In June 1994, he was elected a member of the European Parliament, and in addition was elected as a member of the Belgian Senate in 1995.

• Bar, Liège.

Interests

• Travel, skiing; foreign policy, political institutions, justice, security, mass media.

Connections

Married Rosita Winkler, September 2, 1967. 1 child, Deborah.

Father:

Stanislas Gol

Mother:

Lea Gol

Spouse:

Rosita Winkler

child:

Deborah Gol