Paul-Henri Spaak

Paul-Henri Charles Spaak (25 January 1899, Schaerbeek, Belgium – 31 July 1972, Brussels, Belgium) was a Belgian politician and lawyer. He is thought to be as one of the founding fathers of the European Union.

Spaak entered politics in 1932 for the Belgian Workers' Party (later the Belgian Socialist Party). He became Prime Minister of Belgium in 1938 and held the position until 1939. During World War II, he served as Foreign Minister in the Belgian government in exile under Hubert Pierlot. After the war, he twice served the position of Prime Minister, first for under a month in March 1946 and again between 1947 and 1949. 

Spaak was Belgium's Foreign Minister for 18 years between 1939 and 1966.

In 1945, he was chosen to chair the first session of the General Assembly of the new United Nations. He served as the first President of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe between 1949 and 1950 and became the first President of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) between 1952 and 1954.

Between 1957 and 1961, he served as the second Secretary-General of NATO.

References

Other websites
Fondation Paul-Henri Spaak
The Presidency Project – Remarks at the Presentation of the Medal of Freedom to Paul Henri Spaak, Secretary General of NATO – 21 February 1961
NATO Declassified - Paul-Henri Spaak (biography) 

Category:1899 births
Category:1972 deaths
Category:Belgian mayors
Category:Belgian social democrats
Category:Government ministers of Belgium
Category:MEPs for Belgium
Category:Brussels-Capital Region politicians
Category:People from Schaerbeek
Category:Presidents of the European Parliament
Category:Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly
Category:Prime ministers of Belgium
Category:Secretaries General of NATO