Political icon Jos Chabert dies

Former Christian Democrat minister Jos Chabert has died at the age of 81, announced the CD&V party on April 10. "The CD&V loses a committed Christian Democrat. Our country has lost one of its political icons," said Flemish Christian Democrats President Wouter Beke.

Jos Chabert was born on March 16, 1933 in Etterbeek. He studied law at the Catholic University of Leuven (KUL) and was later a lawyer at the Brussels Court of Appeal. In 1965, he made his first move into politics, when he became an alderman in Meise, Flemish Brabant. Three years later he was elected to parliament. In 1973, he became a minister, initially in charge of Dutch culture and Flemish affairs. A year later he was made minister of roads and communications.

He held on to this position for six years under three separate governments. Notable achievements during this period were his establishment of the speed limit at 120 km/h and making the wearing of seat belts obligatory. More controversially, he also set up the first flight path over Brussels which passed directly over the Grand’Place. Dubbed the ‘route Chabert’, it was abandoned after a number of years in favour of a flight path over the canal.

He later rose to the role of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Institutional Reform. In 1981, he left federal government taking on first the role of Belgium’s representative at the United Nations general assembly and later General Commissioner at the World Expo in Japan.

Chabert returned to politics in 1989 when he entered Brussels regional government. For ten years he played an important role in regional government as minister in charge of budget, economy, finance, energy and external relations. In 1999, this fervent supporter of Anderlecht moved onto public works and transport.

His 40-year parliamentary career came to an end in 2009 when he failed to get re-elected. He was subsequently made Minister of State by King Albert II.