15 Facts About Antoinette Spaak

Antoinette Spaak was born into a noted political family and entered politics as part of the regionalist Democratic Front of Francophones in 1972.

Antoinette Spaak held the presidency of the FDF from 1977 to 1982 and later advocated conciliation between Francophone centrist political parties.

Antoinette Spaak was born in the Brussels suburb of Etterbeek in Belgium on 27 June 1928 into a noted political dynasty affiliated with liberal and socialist parties.

Antoinette Spaak's father was Paul-Henri Spaak, a socialist politician and statesman who served several terms as prime minister and who played a notable role in the early years of the European Economic Community as well as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Antoinette Spaak was the granddaughter of Marie Janson, the first female member of the Belgian Senate, and the grand-niece of Paul-Emile Janson, a liberal politician who would serve as prime minister.

Antoinette Spaak studied at the Free University of Brussels and graduated with a doctorate in philosophy and letters.

Antoinette Spaak entered politics after her father's death in 1972 within the regionalist Democratic Front of Francophones, which purported to represent the interests of French-speakers in Brussels amid the ongoing political struggles between linguistic groups in Belgium which had emerged in the 1960s.

Antoinette Spaak was elected to the Chamber of Representatives in the 1974 elections and became president of the FDF in 1977, becoming the first woman in Belgian history to lead a political party.

Antoinette Spaak retained the FDF leadership until 1982 and presided over much of the party's greatest electoral success in the 1970s, when regionalist sentiment in Brussels was at its height.

Antoinette Spaak was granted the honorary title of Minister of State in 1983.

Antoinette Spaak presided over the Council of the French Community from 1988 to 1992.

Antoinette Spaak was a candidate for the MR in the 2007 elections at the bottom of the list and was not elected.

Antoinette Spaak was the long-time partner of Etienne Davignon, a businessman and European functionary, who had been her father's.

Antoinette Spaak died at her home in Brussels, Belgium, on 28 August 2020, aged 92.

L'Echo said in its obituary that Antoinette Spaak had "epitomised a certain idea of feminism, of francophone struggle, and European engagement" during her political career but noted that she had never held a ministerial portfolio.