| Birth date | November 24, 1930 |
|---|---|
| Death date | November 9, 2018 (aged 87) |
| Birth place | Belgium |
| Occupation | Politician, teacher |
| Office | Minister of State |
| Term start | 1998 |
| Office 2 | Member of the Chamber of Representatives (Belgium) |
| Term start 2 | 1971 |
| Term end 2 | 1995 |
| Office 3 | Senator |
| Term start 3 | 1995 |
| Term end 3 | 1999 |
| Office 4 | Mayor of Boussu |
| Term start 4 | 1977 |
| Term end 4 | 2006 |
| Office 5 | Belgian Commissioner General for Expo 2010 |
| Term start 5 | 2006 |
| Term end 5 | 2009 |
Robert Urbain (24 November 1930 – 9 November 2018) was a Belgian politician who served as Minister of State from 1998.[1]
Career
A certified teacher of secondary education in mathematics and physics, Robert Urbain began his professional career in 1950 as a mathematics teacher in École normale (Normal school) in Mons.[2] In 1958, he joined the provincial administration of Hainaut, where he held various positions until 1971, the year he was elected deputy for the Mons constituency.[3] He held this mandate until 1995, and then served as an elected senator from 1995 to 1999. At the local level, he was mayor of Boussu from 1977 to 2006.[4]
In June 2006, he was appointed Belgian Commissioner General for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. In August 2009, he resigned from this position in a tense atmosphere,[5] just as the cornerstone for the Belgian pavilion was about to be laid, and was replaced by his deputy, Leo Delcroix.[6]
In February 2011, in the context of the Arab revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, controversy resurfaced in the press regarding alleged ties between Colonel Gaddafi and the politician from Borinage.[7]
References
- ^ Boussu: Robert Urbain, ancien ministre et bourgmestre durant 30 ans, est décédé (in French)
- ^ "Death of Minister of State Robert Urbain" (in French). La Dernière Heure. IPM Group. 2018-11-10. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ "Former minister Robert Urbain has died" (in French). L'Echo. Mediafin. 2018-11-10. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ "Former mayor of Boussu Robert Urbain has died at the age of 87" (in French). L'Avenir. Vers l'Avenir. 2018-11-10. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ Paquet, Philippe (2009-08-04). "Leo Delcroix wants to reign over Shanghai 2010" (in French). La Libre. IPM Group. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ Steffens, Eric (2022-11-04). "Former minister Leo Delcroix has died; he ended compulsory military service" (in French). VRT NWS. Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ Gilain, André (2011-03-06). ""Kadhafi has no reason to leave!"" (in French). La Dernière Heure. IPM Group. Retrieved 2025-06-04.