Federal Minister
She was quickly promoted and was put on her Social Democrat Party's list in East Flanders for the federal parliament in 2003, attracting 105,000 votes. On 12 July 2003 she was appointed the youngest minister in Belgium's history appointed aged 28 as Minister of Environment, Consumer Affairs and Sustainable Development in Government Verhofstadt II. In July 2004, she became responsible for Work and Consumer Affairs. After the departure of Johan Vande Lanotte in October 2005 she was again promoted, this time to become the nation's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Budget and Consumer Affairs. She lost that position in 2008 when the government fell.
In a recent poll she was rated as the seventh most popular politician in Belgium. A Spanish newspaper included her in an internet poll of the world's most beautiful female politicians.
Time magazine wrote about her:
But by the time she ran for national parliament as a Flemish Socialist (SP.A) candidate in 2003, the law required that both sexes be represented in the top three slots on every party list — so her name was placed in a vote-getting position no novice male would have enjoyed. And part of her popularity, it must be said, has to do with her bright blue eyes and throaty voice. Van den Bossche regularly pops up on "sexiest Belgians" lists. "Some people assume I'm here because of my looks or because of parity laws," she says. "My job is to prove them wrong. Maybe these factors have helped, but I hope that in four years, people will be talking about my policies."
Read more about this topic: Freya Van Den Bossche
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