Sophie Wilmès: Belgian foreign minister formally resigns to care for ill husband. Sophie Wilmès, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Belgium, has formally announced her resignation to care for her sick spouse.
Following the diagnosis of “aggressive brain cancer” in her husband, the former Australian footballer Christopher Stone, Wilmès announced on Thursday that she would be leaving her positions.
In April, the 47-year-old temporarily left her position in the Belgian government.
Sophie Wilmès: Belgian foreign minister formally resigns to care for ill husband. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has filled her position as foreign minister since she left, but her formal resignation now makes a cabinet reshuffle possible.
In a statement, Wilmès said: “I wish to fight beside him and with our children in this arduous war that will be my husband’s disease.
She said that she would continue to serve as an MP for the liberal Mouvement Réformateur because of her current governmental obligations.
Prior to taking the position of foreign minister, Wilmès served as Belgium’s first female prime minister from 2019 to 2020.
De Croo declared on Thursday night that “our government is losing a fantastic lady” and praised Wilmès’ “courageous choice.”
“She made a real decision that is commensurate with who she is. It is a decision that prompts all of us to consider the purpose of life and serves as a reminder of her priorities “Added he.
