Minister Resigns To Care For Her Husband
Belgian Minister for Foreign affairs Sophie Wilmes, resigns to care for her sick husband.
Sophie says she made the decision to resign after perfect consultation with the prime minister.
Ms Wilmes husband has been diagnosed with aggressive cancer of the brain. Sophie Wilmès
Belgian Foreign Minister says she will step down temporarily to care for her husband, who has been diagnosed with brain cancer.
Ms Wilmès, who has also been serving as deputy prime minister, will take a formal leave until the end of the summer. She together with her family will reassess the situation after the summer.
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo in a statement said Ms Wilmès’s decision to resign commands the greatest respect.
The Prime Minister Mr De Croo added that Ms Sophie would not officially resign from government only that her powers would, instead, be transferred temporarily to other ministers through “a royal decree”.
Ms Wilmès, married her Australian husband Chris Stone in 2009. She also served as prime minister between 2019 and 2020.
The couple have three daughters. Her Husband Mr Stone has a son also from a previous relationship.
Ms Wilmes, in her Twitter account wrote that the disease has suddenly entered our lives, that of Christopher my husband in particular, and he must begin his fight against the disease like many other men, women and even children, who have fought the disease courageously.
She continued to write that being a minister requires rigour, availability and a total commitment which will hinder her from caring and comforting her sick husband as he fights the brain cancer, and therefore, she has decided to resign so that she can take care of him during the difficult period.
Mr De Croo said that he would assume Ms Wilmès’s position for the mean time even as he wished her and her family a lot of strength and courage during this difficult time.
