Jan Verroken | |
|---|---|
 Verroken in 1988 | |
| Member of the Belgian Parliament for Oudenaarde | |
| In office 1950–1981 | |
| Member of the European Parliament for the Dutch-speaking electoral college | |
| In office 17 July 1979 – 23 July 1984 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 January 1917 Melden, Belgium |
| Died | 24 July 2020 (aged 103) Mechelen, Belgium |
| Political party | CDV |
Jan Verroken (30 January 1917 – 24 July 2020) was a Belgian politician.[1][2]
Biography
Born on 30 January 1917, Verroken served as burgomaster of Oudenaarde, President of the Christelijke Volkspartij in the Belgian Parliament, and a Deputy for the Oudenaarde constituency. He was also a member of the European Parliament and served on the Benelux Parliament.
Verroken was detested in Wallonia, the francophone part of Belgium. During the Split of the Catholic University of Leuven Flemish students chanted "Walen buiten" (Walloons out), a slogan coined by Verroken. The university was split into the KU Leuven and the Université catholique de Louvain. In a 2016 interview with Pierre Havaux, Verroken minimized his role in these events, as well as downplaying the separatist tendency of Flemish demands, saying that there was "never in Flanders a project of form a separatist government, as was the case in Wallonia during the Royal Question".[3]
References
- ↑ "L'ex-député Jan Verroken (CVP) est décédé". RTL Info (in French). 24 July 2020.
- ↑ "Wetstraat-legende Jan Verroken (103) overleden". De Standaard (in Dutch). 24 July 2020.
- ↑ "La scission a toujours été une exigence wallonne". Le Vif (in French). 5 March 2016.