Hadja Lahbib
Hadja Lahbib | |
|---|---|
| File:Hadja Lahbib.jpg | |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| Assumed office 15 July 2022 | |
| Nominated by | Georges-Louis Bouchez |
| Monarch | Philippe |
| Prime Minister | Alexander De Croo |
| Preceded by | Sophie Wilmès |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 June 1970 Boussu, Belgium |
| Occupation |
|
Hadja Lahbib (born 21 June 1970, Boussu, Wallonia, Belgium) is a Belgian journalist, TV presenter, director and political figure, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium since July 15, 2022.
Early life
Hadja Lahbib was born on 21 June 1970 in the Boussu, near the city of Mons, to a family of Algerian origin.[1]
Career as a journalist
Lahbib graduated in journalism from the Free University of Brussels and worked for a long time for the Belgian Radio-Television of the French Community (RTBF). In particular, she was a special correspondent in Afghanistan and the Middle East, and presented the television news for two decades. In May 2013, she presented the final of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, but she refused explicitly to mention the winner had Israeli nationality. She was also trapped by her colleague who let her comment on a non-existing symphony. The next year her presentation was not renewed.[2][3]
Controversies
Lahbib visited politically disputed Crimea between Russia and Ukraine in July 2021.[4] She did not tell how exactly she got there and did not recognize Crimea as the territory of Ukraine.[4] She went to the "Global Values" festival, which is organized by the Sevastopol Academic Russian Drama Theater named after Lunacharsky and organized by Katerina Tikhonova daughter of Vladimir Putin.[5][6] In 2021, it was held on 23–25 July. On Instagram, she published fragments of a choreographic performance from the festival. After the trip, she was asked by RTBF was she coming back from Russia or Ukraine. Lahbib did not answer clearly, but said: "to land at Simferopol airport, you need a Russian visa."[7][8][9]
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium
Prior to her appointment as foreign minister on 15 July 2022, Lahbib was only politically active with the socialist organisation, Solidaris and she is not a member of the liberal Reform Movement (MR), whose leader Georges-Louis Boucher unexpectedly nominated her for the post as Belgian Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs to replace Sophie Wilmès. She took the oath before King Philip on the same day. At the press conference at which she was introduced, she said about her political position:
Works
- Afghanistan. Le choix des femmes. Éditions Racine, Brüssel 2008, ISBN 978-2-87386-581-8; Dokumentary 2007 (52 min.)
- Le cou et la tête. – Dokumentary about the women's village Umoja in the Northern Kenya (26 min.)
- Patience, patience, t'iras au paradis ! Film 2014
References
- ^ "Hadja Lahbib, ministre des Affaires étrangères : "À cette proposition audacieuse, j'ai répondu par une audace"". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- ^ "Hadja Lahbib - Réalisatrice, Journaliste - Rédactrice - sur Cinergie.be". Cinergie.be. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
- ^ "Palestina-activisten niet te spreken over winst Israëlier van prestigieuze Koningin Elisabethwedstrijd". Joods Actueel. 28 June 2013.
- ^ a b "Нова глава МЗС Бельгії у 2021 році їздила в окупований Крим і відмовилася назвати його Україною". www.eurointegration.com.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 25 July 2022.
- ^ "Нова глава МЗС Бельгії у 2021 році їздила в окупований Крим і відмовилася назвати його Україною". www.eurointegration.com.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 25 July 2022.
- ^ "Crimean Plume. Ukraine Clashes with the Belgian Foreign Minister over a Visit to the Occupied Peninsula". European Pravda. 28 July 2022.
- ^ "Нова глава МЗС Бельгії у 2021 році їздила в окупований Крим і відмовилася назвати його Україною". www.eurointegration.com.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 25 July 2022.
- ^ ""Це була моя робота": нова глава МЗС Бельгії відвідала Крим і назвала його "російським"". ФОКУС (in Ukrainian). 20 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
- ^ "Нова міністерка закордонних справ Бельгії їздила до окупованого Криму у 2021-му і не називала його українським | Громадське телебачення". hromadske.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 25 July 2022.
- ^ "Hadja Lahbib devient ministre des Affaires étrangères : "Elle était mon premier et unique choix" précise Bouchez". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 25 July 2022.
- ^ "Hadja Lahbib, nouvelle ministre des Affaires étrangères, a prêté serment devant le Roi (photos)". Le Soir (in French). 15 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
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