Etienne Knoops

Etienne Knoops , born with Marchienne-with-Bridge on March 5th, 1934, is a Belgian politician and a Walloon militant.

He was assistant with UCL of professor Dupriez, then tallies and then administrator-delegate of company MIROX, transforming glass and employing 375 persons in the area of Charleroi.

He is to advise communal PSC for Charleroi of 1964 to 1968, then resigns of this party to join the Walloon Rassemblement, according to his dires, being convinced of the inadequacy of the unit structures of the Belgian State vis-a-vis the Walloon industrial decline of the Sixties and the weakness of the Walloon agents vis-a-vis in the majority Flemish.

He is elected appointed of Charleroi on the lists of this party and there will remain elected of 1968 to 1976. To this date, he is opposed to the turning on the left Walloon Gathering wanted by Paul-Henry Gendebien and joined PRLw with Jean Gol and François Perin. He was Secretary of State for the Economic affairs of 1974 to 1976, Minister for the Foreign trade of 1976 to 1977, Secretary of State for the Energy of 1981 to 1985 (to what the wallet of the middle-classes in 1983 is added).

It is under Secretary of State to Energy in the government Martens - Gol of 1982 with 1985 qu ' it requires of the powerplants not to buy more the coal of the Campine, estimating that this one was more expensive than imported coal. It revealed occasion consequently that the iron and steel company Cockerill-Sambre was then obliged to provide itself out of coal to the same place, whereas in Flanders, spread the slogan Plus one franc for Walloon steel . It was not followed by the government.

It finally Secretary of State for the foreign trade of 1985 to 1988, in the second Martens-Gol government.

He is appointed Walloon of 1995 to 1998 and finishes his career at the Parliament by seeing one of his most expensive claims carried out: the direct election of the Walloon Parliament which took place the first time in 1999.

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