Melchior Wathelet

Melchior H. M. J. F. C. Wathelet is a Belgian politician and member of the Humanist Democratic Centre who served as 4th Minister-President of Wallonia. He has degrees in law and in economics and is a Master of Laws. He is also a professor at the Université catholique [de Louvain|Catholic University of Louvain] and the Université de Liège. From 1995 to 2003 he was a Judge at the European Court of Justice. Following that, Wathelet served as. In 2012-2018, Wathelet served as Advocate-General at the Court of Justice.

Political career

Member of the Chamber of Representatives
Secretary of State for Regional Economy of the Walloon Region
Minister of New Technologies and SMEs of the Walloon Region
Minister-President of the Walloon Region
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice and Middle Classes
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice and Economic Affairs
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence
Mayor of Verviers

Controversy

As Justice Minister he had, according to David Canter, "encouraged the early release of many sex offenders" which included Marc Dutroux, a convicted child molester and subsequent serial killer. This particular release resulted in the European Parliament calling for his resignation as an ECJ judge in 1997. The European Parliament does not have the right to appoint ECJ judges, and it was the first time that it attempted to influence their selection.