Raoul Hedebouw

Raoul Hedebouw
Born	Raoul Hedebouw (1977-07-12) 12 July 1977 Liège, Belgium
Nationality	Belgium
Occupation(s)	biologist, politician
Known for	MP for the PVDA-PTB
Political party	PVDA-PTB

Raoul Hedebouw (born 12 July 1977) is a Belgian politician of the Workers' Party of Belgium (PVDA-PTB).

Youth

Raoul Hedebouw was born in Liège to Flemish parents, who moved from Limburg to Liège to work in the steel industry. Hedebouw grew up in a working class neighbourhood in Herstal and was raised bilingually in both Dutch and French. He studied biology at the University of Liège, and became politically active during student strikes against the reforms of the contemporary Minister of Higher Education Michel Lebrun.

Politician

Hedebouw joined the far left PVDA-PTB and became its spokesperson in 2008, a function he resigned from in 2017. He was first elected as council member in Liège after the local elections of 2012. After the federal elections of 2014 he became one of the first two federal MPs for the PVDA-PTB. Hedebouw often gives his speeches in the Chamber in both Dutch and French, changing from one language to the other between sentences. When preparing for a speech for workers' day on 1 May he was stabbed in the leg. The damage was limited and Hedebouw was able to finish his speech before being taken to hospital.