Eddy Baldewijns

Edouard S. L. L. J. Baldewijns (born 22 April 1945) is a Belgian politician, member of the Chamber of Representatives and Flemish Government minister. A member of the Belgian Socialist Party and its successor the Flemish Socialist Party, he represented Hasselt from April 1977 to May 1995 and Hasselt-Tongeren-Maaseik from June 1999 to December 1999. He was the Flemish Minister of Public Works, Transport and Spatial Planning from June 1995 to September 1998 and Minister of Education and Civil Service Affairs from September 1998 to July 1999. He was also a member of the Flemish Parliament and its predecessors, the Flemish Council and the Cultural Council for the Dutch Cultural Community, from May 1977 to July 1995.

Early life Baldewijns was born on 22 April 1945 in Borlo into a farming family. In 1966 he graduated from the Provinciale Normaalschool teaching college in Tienen with a major in French and history. He was mayor of Gingelom from 1989 to 2004. With his background, Baldewijns became the Flemish socialists education expert. As minister, Baldewijns put an end to the toleration of building regulation violations and had several illegally built houses demolished.

Baldewijns was chairman of (RAGO) from 2008 to 2018. He is a Grand Officer in the Order of Leopold and has a Civil Medal 1st class. The Eddy Baldewijns Centre for Reading, Information and Multimedia in Gingelom is named after Baldewijns.