Luc Mercelina
{{Short description|Sint Maarten surgeon and politician (born 1964)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = His Excellency
| name = Luc Mercelina
| image = Luc Mercelina, UNGA 2024 (B).jpg
| caption = Marcelina in 2024
| office = 8th Prime Minister of Sint Maarten
| monarch = Willem-Alexander
| governor = Ajamu Baly
| deputy = Veronica Jansen-Webster{{Cite web |title=Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure |url=https://www.sintmaartengov.org/Ministries/Public-Housing,-Spatial-Planning,-Environment-and-Infrastructure/Pages/default.aspx |access-date=2024-05-04 |website=www.sintmaartengov.org}}
| term_start = 3 May 2024{{Cite web |title=New Council of Ministers appointed and sworn-in |url=https://www.sintmaartengov.org/news/Pages/New-Council-of-Ministers-appointed-and-sworn-in.aspx |access-date=2024-05-04 |website=www.sintmaartengov.org}}
| term_end =
| predecessor = Silveria Jacobs
| successor =
| office1 = Leader of the Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement
| term_start1 = 10 October 2021
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = Position established
| successor1 =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|12|06|df=y}}
| birth_place = Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = {{unbulleted list|United Democrats (until 2019)|United People's Party (2019–2021)|Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (since 2021)}}
| alma_mater = Maastricht University
| religion =
| signature =
| website =
}}
Luc F. E. Mercelina (born 6 December 1964) is a surgeon and politician from Sint Maarten and the current prime minister {{as of|2024|05|03|lc=yes}}.{{Cite web |title=New Council of Ministers appointed and sworn-in |url=https://www.sintmaartengov.org/news/Pages/New-Council-of-Ministers-appointed-and-sworn-in.aspx |access-date=2024-05-04 |website=www.sintmaartengov.org}} He is the founder and leader of the Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (URSM). He was also a member of the United Democrats (UD) and the United People's Party (UP).
Early life and career
Luc Mercelina was born in Curaçao as the second child of Milo Mercelina, of Bonairean descent, and Juliette S.F. Fleming of Marigot, Saint Martin. He graduated as a doctor in 1990 from the Medical University of Maastricht. His professional career started in Curaçao, where he was a general practitioner in Santa Rosa from 1990 to 1992.{{cite news|url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010644030:mpeg21:p013|title=Afscheid dokter Mercelina|work=Amigoe|date=1992-04-24|accessdate=2024-02-08}} He further specialized in surgery at the UZ Leuven in Belgium, which he completed in 1998. After working as a surgeon in the Netherlands for a year, he moved to Sint Maarten in 1999, where he worked for 10 years at the Sint Maarten Medical Center (SMMC).{{cite web|url=https://smmc.sx/News/ArticleID/198/Surgeon-Dr-Mercelina-Resumes-Position-at-SMMC|title=Surgeon Dr. Mercelina Resumes Position at SMMC|publisher=SMMC}}
Political career
In the 2018 elections, the United Democrats became the largest party in the Estates of Sint Maarten with 7 seats, with Mercelina holding one of them.{{cite news|title=United Democrats secured most seats in parliament.|url=http://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/28536-united-democrats-secured-most-seats-in-parliament.html|work=SMN News|date=27 February 2018}}{{cite news|title=UD and SMCP signed formation agreement on close to midnight on Thursday.|url=http://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/28852-ud-and-smcp-signed-formation-agreement-on-close-to-midnight-on-thursday.html|work=SMN News|date=6 April 2018}} On 9 September 2019, Mercelina left the UD, leading to the collapse of the second Marlin-Romeo cabinet.{{cite news | title=Update: NA, US party, Mercelina, Brownbill form new nine-member coalition |url=https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/91109-update-na-us-party-mercelina-brownbill-form-new-nine-member-coalition |work=The Daily Herald |date=23 September 2019}} He then became a member of the United People's Party for two years, before leaving and founding the Unified Resilient Sint Maarten Movement on 10 October 2021.{{cite web |url=https://smn-news.com/index.php/st-maarten-st-martin-news/42910-sizeable-crowd-turns-out-for-ursm-first-congress-dr-luc-mercelina-elected-as-leader.html |title=Sizeable crowd turns out for URSM first congress, Dr. Luc Mercelina elected as leader. |date=8 May 2023 |access-date=22 January 2024 |work=Sint Maarten News}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/dr-mercelina-launches-ursm-party-wants-to-initiate-change |title=Dr. Mercelina launches URSM party, wants to initiate change |date=11 October 2021 |access-date=22 January 2024 |work=The Daily Herald}} The URSM contested the January 2024 general election winning 2 seats,{{cite web |url=https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/na-maintains-position-as-biggest-party-in-elections |title=NA maintains position as biggest party in elections |date=12 January 2024 |access-date=22 January 2024 |work=The Daily Herald}} and later entered a coalition agreement with the Democratic Party, Party for Progress, and Nation Opportunity Wealth that designated Mercelina as the new Prime Minister.{{cite web |url=https://caribbean.loopnews.com/content/sint-maarten-four-political-parties-sign-historic-coalition-agreement |title=Sint Maarten: Four political parties sign historic coalition agreement |date=14 January 2024 |access-date=22 January 2024 |work=Loop News}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Prime Ministers of Sint Maarten}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercelina, Luc}}
Category:Members of the Parliament of Sint Maarten
Category:Democratic Party Sint Maarten politicians