Quick Facts
Biography
Karl-Heinz Lambertz (born 4 June 1952) is a Belgian politician holding a master's degree in Law (Université catholique de Louvain) with an additional specialisation in German Law (University of Heidelberg). He was the Minister-President of the German-speaking Community of Belgium for 15 years and became President of the Parliament of the German-speaking Community in 2014. Currently a member of the Belgian Senate representing the German-Speaking Community, he is also President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) having been elected on 12 July 2017 after serving a two and a half year term as its First Vice-President.
Born on 4 June 1952 in Schoppen, Karl-Heinz Lambertz' interest in politics came early in his career having served as President of the German-speaking Youth Council (1975-1980). After a number of functions linked to his academic background in law, he became a member of Parliament for the German-speaking Community in 1981.
Between 1990-1999 he held numerous Ministerial posts in the German-speaking Community Government before being elected as Minister-President (1999-2014). He was then President of Parliament until 2016 before taking post as senator.
Karl-Heinz Lambertz has been a CoR member since 2001 and was President of the CoR's PES Group (2011- 2015). Since 2000, he has been a member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe in which he is currently Vice-President.
On 17 July 2008, he was one of three senior Belgian politicians commissioned by King Albert II to investigate ways of enabling constitutional reform talks in the light of the long-running Belgian constitutional crisis.
Professional career
- 1976-1980: Assistant at the Law Faculty, Catholic University of Louvain (UCL, Université catholique de Louvain )
- 1980-1981: Advisor to the Minister for Institutional Reforms/ Deputy Director of AG AEROTECH
- 1981-1990: Advisor at the Wallon Region investment company SRIW (Société Régionale d'Investissement de Wallonie)
- 1988-2010: Lecturer at the Law Faculty, UCL (subject: German Legal Terminology)
Political career
- 2017-Present: President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR)
- Since 2016: Senator of the German-speaking Community of Belgium
- Since 2016: Vice-President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
- 2015-2017: First Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR)
- 2014-2016: President of the Socialist Group at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
- 2014-2016: President of the Parliament of the German-speaking Community of Belgium
- 2013-2014: President of the Euregio Maas-Rhine (EMR)
- 2011-2015: President of the PES Group in the European Committee of the Regions (CoR)
- Since 2010: President of Association of European Border Regions (AEBR)
- 2010-2014: Plenary Chair of the Governance Committee at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
- 2010-2012: Head of the Belgian delegation at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
- 2009-2014: Minister-President of the German-Speaking Community of Belgium, Minister of Local Authorities
- Since 2009: Member of the Bureau of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR)
- 2008-2010: Plenary Chair of the Committee on culture and education at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
- 2007-2010: Plenary Chair of the Working Group on Inter-Regional Co-operation at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (GT/CIR)
- 2006-2010: General reporter of the Congress of Regional and Local Authorities on cross-border cooperation
- 2004–2009: Minister-President of the German-Speaking Community of Belgium, Minister of Local Authorities
- Since 2000: Member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Congress of the Council of Europe
- Since 2001: Member of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Commission for Culture, Education and Research (EDUC) and Commission for Economic and Social Policy (ECOS)
- 1999-2004: Minister-President of the German-Speaking Community of Belgium, Minister for Disabled, Media and Sports
- 1995-1999: Minister for Youth, Training, Media and Social Issues of the German-Speaking Community of Belgium
- 1990-1995: Minister of Media, Adult Education, Policy for the Disabled, Social Aid and Professional Retraining in the German-Speaking Community of Belgium
- Since 1986: Member of the Executive Board of the Socialist Party (PS)
- 1984-1990: President of the Socialist Party of the German-speaking Community of Belgium
- 1981-1990: Chairman of the Socialist Group in the Parliament of the German-speaking Community of Belgium
- Since 1981: Member of the Parliament of the German-speaking Community of Belgium
- 1975-1981: Member of the Commission for the Official German Translation of Laws and Decrees
- 1975-1980: President of the Council of the German-speaking Youth (RDJ)
Honours
- 2014: Grand cross in the Order of the Crown.