Jan Jambon

Jan Jambon (born 26 April 1960 in Genk) is a Belgian politician affiliated to the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA). He replaced Kris Peeters as a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives in 2007. N-VA was at that time partners with the Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams party.[1] In June 2010 and May 2014 he was re-elected on an N-VA list.[2]

Jan Jambon
Jan Jambon on 20 June 2018
Minister of the Interior
In office
11 October 2014 – 9 December 2018
Prime MinisterCharles Michel
Preceded byMelchior Wathelet Jr.
Succeeded byPieter De Crem
Minister-president of Flanders
Assumed office
2 October 2019
Preceded byLiesbeth Homans
Personal details
Born (1960-04-26) 26 April 1960
Genk, Belgium
Political partyNew Flemish Alliance
WebsiteParty website

He became mayor of Brasschaat in 2013 after his party won the local elections in 2012.[3] In November 2014, he was replaced as acting mayor by Koen Verberck (also N-VA), after joining the new Federal Government.[4]

In October 2014 he became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior and Security, charged with the direction of public buildings, in the Michel Government.[5] Jambon remained in this position until the government fell in December 2018.

In October 2019, Jambon became the new Minister-President of Flanders, leading the Jambon Government.

Controversies

Birthday of Sint-Maartensfonds

Jan Jambon has been criticized for having given a speech in 2001, as representative of the Flemish NGO Vlaamse Volksbeweging, during the 50th birthday of Sint-Maartensfonds, an association of former Flemish nazi collaborators who joined Nazi Germany 's troops during World War II. In October 2014, replying to these remarks, Jambon declared the following as part of an interview.

The collaboration was a mistake. The Flemish movement was isolated for several years. But it's easier said than done. The people who collaborated with the Germans had their reasons. Me, I was not alive during that time.[6]

This statement was criticized by several Belgian politicians,[7] as well as the Social-Democrat Group Leader in the European Parliament, Gianni Pittella.[8]

Private

Jambon is married to Mieke Huybrechts, sister of Pieter Huybrechts, who is a former member of the forbidden extreme right-wing paramilitary organization Vlaamse Militanten Orde, and former son-in-law of Karel Dillen who founded Vlaams Blok, an extreme-right political party. Jambon and his wife Mieke Huybrechts have four children.

In 2014, Jambon was the target of death threats from someone claiming to be an extremist Muslim. Fellow N-VA politician Theo Francken also received similar threats.[9]

References
  1. "De Kamerleden". De Kamer BE (in Dutch). 7 May 2010. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  2. Torfs, Michael (25 October 2013). "Flemish nationalist Jan Jambon under fire". Flanders News BE. Archived from the original on 27 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  3. "Nieuwe burgemeester Jan Jambon legt eed af". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). 18 December 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  4. "Vervanger van Jambon legt eed af als waarnemend burgemeester Brasschaat". Gazet Van Antwerpen (in Dutch). 10 November 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  5. "Vice-eersteminister en minister van Veiligheid en Binnenlandse Zaken, belast met de Regie der Gebouwen" (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  6. "Jan Jambon: 'Les gens qui ont collaboré avec les Allemands avaient leurs raisons'" (in French). La Libre Belgique. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  7. Collaboration avec les nazis : le nouveau gouvernement belge tangue déjà, Le Parisien 13/10/2014.
  8. "European social-democrats 'very concerned'", vrt news 15/10/2014.
  9. https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2014/10/26/interior_ministerreceivesdeaththreats-1-2130244/
Political offices
Preceded by
Melchior Wathelet Jr.		 Minister of the Interior
2014–2018		 Succeeded by
Pieter De Crem
Preceded by
Liesbeth Homans		 Minister-President of Flanders
2019–		 Succeeded by
Incumbent


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