Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb

Belgian politician (1936–2023)

Baron

Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb

President of the Chamber of Representatives
In office
10 May 1988 – 8 June 1995
Preceded by| Erik Vankeirsbilck
Succeeded by| Jos Dupré
In office
3 April 1979 – 20 May 1980
Preceded by| Edmond Leburton
Succeeded by| Jean Defraigne
Personal details
Born| (1936-05-03)3 May 1936
Brussels, Belgium
Died| 19 April 2023(2023-04-19) (aged 86)
Political party| Humanist Democratic Centre

Baron Charles-Ferdinand Nicolas Marie Pierre Nothomb (3 May 1936 – 19 April 2023) was a Belgian politician.

## Family and early life

[edit]

Nothomb was born in Brussels in 1936, the thirteenth and youngest child of the writer and politician Pierre Nothomb, and grew up in Habay in the province of Luxembourg. He was descended from Jean-Baptiste Nothomb, who served as Prime Minister of Belgium in the 1840s. In 1963 he married Michèle Pouppez de Kettenis de Hollaeken Dryepondt (born 1941), with whom he had three children, and was awarded the title of Baron three years later.

He was an uncle of the diplomat Baron Patrick Nothomb and the politician François Roelants du Vivier and a great-uncle of the writers Juliette and Amélie Nothomb.[1]

Having obtained degrees in law (1957) and economic sciences (1958), Nothomb was a teacher and researcher at the Catholic University of Louvain and other higher education establishments, and was also involved in the Christian Social Party youth movement.

## Political career

[edit]

Nothomb was elected to the national Chamber of Representatives in 1968 to represent the constituency of Arlon-Marche-Bastogne, a seat he held until 1995.

He was president of the Humanist Democratic Centre party from 1972 to 1979 and president of the Chamber of Representatives from 1979 to 1980. Having served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1980, he was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1980 to 1981 and Minister of the Interior from 1981 to 1986. From 1988 to 1995 he served again as president of the Chamber of Representatives.

Upon his retirement from the Chamber in 1995, Nothomb served a four-year term in the Senate (1995−1999) and was again president of the Humanist Democratic Centre party from 1996 to 1999. From 2002 until his death he was Vice-President of European Movement.

Nothomb was also the author of several political and historical works.

He died on 19 April 2023, at the age of 86.[2]

## Honours

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Nothomb was awarded the following decorations:[3]

### National honours

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* Belgium:
* 1995: Minister of State, By Royal Decree of HM King Albert II.
* 1995: Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown.
* 1991: Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II
* 1987: Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold
* 1985: Civic Medal, 1st Class

* Belgian nobility: title of Baron

### Foreign honours

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* France: Grand Officier of the Legion of honour (20 February 1984)
* Gabon: Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (Gabon) (14 January 1982)
* Greece: Grand Cross of the Order of Honour (3 April 1982)
* Iceland: Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon (16 October 1979) [4]
* Italy: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic[5]
* Mexico: Grand Cross of the Order of the Aztec Eagle
* Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (4 September 1980)[6]
* Poland: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (24 September 1979)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb, éternel serviteur de la politique belge". Last Night in Orient (in French). 3 May 1936. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
2. ^ "Voormalige minister Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb overleden op 86-jarige leeftijd". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 April 2023.
3. ^ Senate biography (French)
4. ^ Icelandic Presidency Website (Icelandic), Order of the Falcon, Nothomb, Charles Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ Italian Presidency website, S.E. Charles Ferdinand NOTHOMB Archived 28 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine \- Cavaliere di Gran Croce Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana
6. ^ Nationaal Archief, inventory 2.02.32, dossier 374, registry number 1566

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb at Wikimedia Commons
* Official site (French only)
* Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb in ODIS - Online Database for Intermediary Structures Archived 28 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine

Party political offices

Preceded by

Gérard Deprez

|  Chairman of the Humanist Democratic Centre
1996–1998  | Succeeded by

Philippe Maystadt

Political offices
Preceded by

Edmond Leburton

|  President of the Chamber of Representatives
1979–1980  | Succeeded by

Jean Defraigne

Preceded by

Henri Simonet

|  Minister of Foreign Affairs
1980–1981  | Succeeded by

Leo Tindemans

Preceded by

Philippe Busquin

|  Minister of the Interior
1981–1986  | Succeeded by

Joseph Michel

Preceded by

Erik Vankeirsbilck

|  President of the Chamber of Representatives
1988–1995  | Succeeded by

Jos Dupré

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Portugal
* Netherlands
* Belgium
* 2

People|

* MEP directory

Other|

* IdRef
* SNAC