Marc Verwilghen

Marc Ernest Elisabeth Robert Juliette Verwilghen (born 21 September 1952) is a Belgian politician.

Marc Verwilghen
Member of Parliament (Senate)
In office 28 June 2007 – 12 June 2010
Minister of Economy
In office 20 July 2004 – 21 December 2007
Prime Minister	Guy Verhofstadt
Minister of Development Cooperation
In office 12 July 2003 – 19 July 2004
Prime Minister	Guy Verhofstadt
Preceded by	Eddy Boutmans [nl]
Succeeded by	Armand De Decker
Minister of Justice
In office 12 July 1999 – 11 July 2003
Prime Minister	Guy Verhofstadt
Preceded by	Tony Van Parys
Succeeded by	Laurette Onkelinx
Personal details
Born	(1952-09-21) 21 September 1952 (age 72) Dendermonde, Belgium
Political party	Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats
Residence	Knokke-Heist
Alma mater	Vrije Universiteit Brussel and University of Ghent
Website	www.marcverwilghen.be

Verwilghen studied law at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the University of Ghent and is the holder of an honorary doctorate from Ghent.

A member of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD), he was elected to the Belgian Chamber of Representatives in 1991 and 1995, and in 1999, to the Belgian Senate. In the Chamber he served as chairman of the Justice committee, and headed two special investigative committees into the events surrounding Marc Dutroux.

He served as Justice minister from 1999 to 2003, as Development co-operation minister 2003–2004, and then as Minister of Economy (fully: Economy, Small and Medium Enterprises, the Middle Classes, Energy, Overseas Trade and Science) from 2004.

He was elected as a member of the Belgian Senate in 2007.^[1]

Honours

• 2010 : Grand Officer in the Order of Leopold.^[2]