Miet Smet

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Miet Smet

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Miet Smet 2009.jpg

| caption = Smet in 2009

| office = Senator

| term_start = {{start date|df=yes|2007|7|12}}

| term_end = 30 June 2009

| office2 = Member of the Flemish Parliament

| term_start2 = 3 October 2004

| term_end2 = 6 June 2009

| office3 = Member of the European Parliament

| term_start3 = 7 August 1999

| term_end3 = 7 August 2004

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1943|4|5}}

| birth_place = Sint-Niklaas, German-occipied Belgium

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2024|12|19|1943|4|5}}

| death_place =

| nationality = Belgian

| party = Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams

| otherparty =

| committees = President and Chair of AWEPA

| spouse = {{marriage|Wilfried Martens|2008|2013|end=died}}

| partner =

| relations =

| children =

| residence = Lokeren

| alma_mater =

| website = [http://www.mietsmet.be www.mietsmet.be ]

}}

Miet Smet (5 April 1943 – 19 December 2024) was a Belgian politician for the Christian Democratic and Flemish party (CD&V).

Career

In 1988, Smet became the president of the European Centre for Workers' Questions, a position which she held till 1995.

=Career in national politics=

Smet was the founder (1973), and first president (until 1982) of the Christian People's Party political women's organisation, Vrouw en Maatschappij (Woman and Society).[http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/anth004belg01_01/anth004belg01_01_0003.htm Miet en Manschappij] in Johan Anthierens, Het Belgische domdenken, p. 27

She was elected to the Belgian Chamber of People's Representatives in 1978.{{Cite web |title=De Belgische Kamer van volksvertegenwoordigers |url=https://www.dekamer.be/kvvcr/showpage.cfm?section=/depute&language=nl&rightmenu=right_depute&cfm=cvview54.cfm?key=00065&lactivity=48 |access-date=2023-02-25 |website=www.dekamer.be}} In 1985, she became State Secretary of Environmental Affairs, and negotiated an Equal Opportunities portfolio. While Smet's competencies cover all aspects of social emancipation, she focused on violence against women, women's economic position and their participation in decision-making. When Smet became Minister of Labour and Employment in 1991, she kept the Equal Opportunities portfolio.{{cite book|author1=Kris Deschouwer|author2=M. Theo Jans|title=Politics Beyond the State: Actors and Policies in Complex Institutional Settings|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ETmOOM8eTfUC|year=2007|publisher=Asp / Vubpress / Upa|isbn=978-90-5487-436-2|page=225}}

=Member of the European Parliament=

When she was offered first place in the CD&V list for the European elections in 1999 instead of Wilfried Martens, Martens, at the instigation of then-wife Ilse Schouteden, refused to run at all.{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-54869145.html |title=Martens refuses to run|website= www.encyclopedia.com|date=1 May 1999}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/mar/07/stephenbates.theobserver |title=Love tangle is final undoing of former Belgian PM|first= Stephen |last=Bates|work= The Guardian|date= 7 March 1999}}

Miet Smet was a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2004.{{Cite web |title=Home {{!}} Leden {{!}} Europees Parlement |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/nl/home |access-date=2023-02-25 |website=www.europarl.europa.eu |language=nl}}

She became a Minister of State in 2002, and has been a member of the Flemish Parliament from 2004 to 2009, and a Belgian senator between 2007 and 2010.{{cite web |title=Belgische Senaat |url=http://www.senate.be/www/?MIval=/index_senate&MENUID=11200&LANG=nl |publisher=Belgian Senate |language=Dutch |accessdate=10 June 2009}}

In 2009, Smet was elected president of the Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA),{{cite web|url=http://awepa.org/index.php/en/about-us/organisational-structure/executive-committee.html|title=AWEPA Executive Committee|access-date=20 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021022500/http://awepa.org/index.php/en/about-us/organisational-structure/executive-committee.html|archive-date=21 October 2011|url-status=dead}} taking over from former president Dr. Jan Nico Scholten.

Personal life and death

On 27 September 2008, Miet married fellow CD&V politician and former Belgian Prime Minister Wilfried Martens.[http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/989/Binnenland/article/detail/430983/2008/09/27/Oud-ministers-Martens-en-Smet-vandaag-getrouwd.dhtml Oud-ministers Martens en Smet vandaag getrouwd], De Morgen, 27 September 2008 After the death of Martens' first wife, Lieve Verschroeven, the marriage was confirmed in the Catholic Church on 27 April 2013.{{Cite web |title=Wilfried Martens en Miet Smet getrouwd |url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf27092008_011 |access-date=2023-02-25 |website=Het Nieuwsblad |date=26 September 2008 |language=nl-BE}}

Miet died on 19 December 2024, at the age of 81.[https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2024/12/19/miet-smet-overleden/ Minister van Staat Miet Smet (81) overleden: progressieve christendemocrate, feministe en compagnon de route van Wilfried Martens] {{in lang|nl}}

Other activities

Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, Member of the Academic Council[https://www.martenscentre.eu/wilfried-martens-centre-european-studies Academic Council] Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies.

Honours

2002 : Minister of state by Royal Decree.
2004 : Grand Officer in the Order of Leopold.
2002 : Dame Grand Cross in the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.{{cite web|url=https://www.senate.be/www/?MIval=/showSenator&ID=212&LANG=nl|title=Miet Smet|website=www.senate.be}}