Philippe Busquin

Philippe Busquin (; born 6 January 1941) is a Belgian politician.

Busquin was born in Feluy. He was a Member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2009 for the French Community of Belgium with the Parti Socialiste, part of the Socialist Group and sat on the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. Busquin was the chairman of the Science and Technology Options Assessment Panel. He also was a substitute for the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and a member of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. His tendency to stutter has been the subject of satirical videos on YouTube, some garnering hundreds of thousands of hits.

From 1999 to 2004, he was Member of the European Commission with responsibility for research.

Education 1962: Degree in physics from the Free University of Brussels 1976: Postgraduate certificate in environmental studies 1980: First degree in philosophy at the Free University of Brussels

Career 1962–1977: Lecturer at the Nivelles teacher training college Assistant lecturer at the Free University of Brussels 1992–1999: Chairman of the PS since 1992: Vice-President of the Socialist International 1994–1996: Vice-President of the PES 1995–1999: Mayor of Seneffe 1977–1978: Ordinary Member for the province of Hainaut 1982–1986: Minister for the Budget and Energy for the Walloon Region 1986: Minister of Economic Affairs for the Walloon Region 1979–1994: Member of the national Parliament 1994–1999: Senator 1980–1982: Minister of Education 1981: Minister of the Interior 1987: Minister for Social Affairs since 1992: Minister of State 1999–2004: Member of the European Commission with responsibility for research 2004–2009: Member of the European Parliament (MEP)

Honours He was awarded: Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II (1995) Commander of the Order of Leopold (1987) Civic Medal, First Class (1988) Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University (2004)