Karl-Heinz Lambertz Politician

Karl-Heinz Lambertz (born 4 June 1952), is a jurist and politician, having been the leader (Minister-President) of the Government of the German-speaking Community of Belgium for 15 years. He is noted for voicing an outspoken demand for his community, numbering about 70,000 around Eupen, to be separated from Wallonia and be recognised as an autonomous 4th region of Belgium. He has been a member of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) of the European Union, since 1999. He is particularly active in the Commission for Economic and Social Policy (ECOS) and the Commission for Culture, Education and Research (EDUC). Since June 2011 he is the President of the PES Group within the CoR. He is also very active in the Congress of the Council of Europe and Chair of its Governance Committee.On 17 July 2008, he was one of three senior Belgian politicians commissioned by King Albert II to investigate ways of enabling constitutional reform talks in the light of the long-running Belgian constitutional crisis.