Elio Di Rupo

Elio Di Rupo (born July 18, 1951) is the leader of the French-speaking Belgian Socialist Party, i.e. the Parti Socialiste (PS), and one of Belgium's most powerful and popular politicians.

Related Topics:
July 18 - 1951 - French - Belgian - Socialist Party - Parti Socialiste - Politician

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Elio Di Rupo is a flamboyant left-winger, and is widely considered to have played a major part in the resurgence of the PS, now the joint largest party in the Belgian parliament.

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In 1996, he was wrongly accused of having had sex with minors by a young gay, Olivier Trusgnach. The allegations nearly put an end to his political career, but a judicial investigation cleared his name.

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He is a deputy (MP) for the Hainaut division of Wallonia. He once described François Mitterrand as being "a character from a novel".

Related Topics:
Hainaut - Wallonia - François Mitterrand

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In October 2005, he became Minister-President of Wallonia after Jean-Claude Van Cauwenberghe resigned amid a corruption scandal.

Related Topics:
2005 - Minister-President of Wallonia - Jean-Claude Van Cauwenberghe

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