PIERRE HARMEL - BELGIUM

Created: 3/1/1966

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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One of Belgium's cost respected andvho Is alriMt universally regarded asthirior" above party politics,as nHmcJ Minister of Foreign Affairscabinet of Paul van den Boeyuants whichhus ending the second longestcrisis. Ir. tew previous month hartie3his post of Prime Minister of theCoalition Government which hadinue to the inability ofas vaa tho fat? of previous Belgian toithtc problems of medicare, mine closings, With regard io the issue of linguistics, at least, Harmed, who is" x-nn'c cS iy* Wrslloon

wing, believes that Federalism and the FLeriieh-Wailoori dispute aiv not so serious nr. to finally divide- the country. Convinced that bilingualifci will eventually solve the problen, he is known to haveavorable reaction In Belgian by Appealing fur this solution on Flemish TV, speaking in iciiwjcc^ble Flemish.

Bom in Ucclc,ierre Harmel received his primary education in Jesuit schools, studied lav at the University of Liege and hasember of its facultyrofessor of lav and taxation for nany years.eserve lieutenant he was called to active duty in the spring of and wus avurded the Croix de Guerre with palas for his conduct duringicp-.ig:.. He was fortunate enough to escape Imprisonment during the occupation. Aftar the war he Joined In the founding of the PSC. cmber of ParJlancnte was elected Vice President of the Chajtbcr in, resigning to "c . president of the PSC group in tho Chaober In Minister of Education in the PSC cabinets0A, he also terved as Minister of Justice, Minister of Cultural Affairs, and us Minister of Public Functionl) in the various BjrckOBJ CcveiwwnU.

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