Mischaël Modrikamen

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Mischaël Modrikamen
Born (1966-02-22) 22 February 1966
Charleroi, Belgium
Nationality  Belgium
Occupation lawyer, politician
Known for Leader of Parti Populaire

Mishaël Modrikamen (born in Charleroi, 22 February 1966) is a Belgian lawyer and politician. He is the leader of the conservative liberal political party Parti Populaire.[1]

Early life and career

His father Marcel Modrikamen, son of a Polish immigrant, was arrested by the Gestapo as a member of the Belgian Resistanceduring World War II. He became a political leader and trade unionist in Charleroi after the war. On February 18, 1991, Marcel Modrikamen was victim of a gun attack.[2] He died a few years later of his injuries. According to his son, his father discovered irregularities in the Gailly Institute, a Belgian hospital situated in the Walloon Region. This could be the reason of the attack.

Mischaël Modrikamen went to school at Couillet and then Charleroi before going to Université libre de Bruxelles, (ULB) where he studied Law.

After a year as trainee with the top American firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, he then moved to Stibbe where he finished his pupilage. He then founded his own firm in 1993, at the age of 27.

Mischaël Modrikamen specialised in representing shareholders and investors in Belgium as well as in complex litigations. He led major procedures that have marked the recent economic history of Belgium, such as the Fortis-case. “His goal was to have the sale from Fortis to BNP Paribas declare null”.[3]

In 1997, M. Modrikamen has won the first landmark case against lead managers of a Eurobond issue (Confederation Life case). The ruling has since determined the scope of liability for this activity in Europe. He recovered over 200 millions euros for bondholders.

In 1999 and 2000, he has forced the board of target companies in takeover battles to make public the conflict of interests of certain of its members (Suez-Tractebel Case and BNP Paribas-Cobepa case).

In 1999, M. Modrikamen has won the largest award ever granted in Belgium which led to a 3 billions euros payment in favor of cooperative shareholders of two merging banks (KBC-CERA merger case).

In 2001, Mischaël represented the Belgian Jewish Community in the negotiation with the banking and insurance sector for looted assets during World War II, securing a 110 Millions euros settlement.

In 2002, he sued Total and Petrofina on behalf of minority shareholders after the forced squeeze out of Petrofina shareholders and won preliminary injunctions placing shares under a custodian and appointing experts to assess the share price. At the same time, Mischaël Modrikamen has been representing clients in significant transactions for the country, notably in the creation of an independent Electricity grid (a 5 billions euros transaction in 2002) or in the creation of SN Brussels Airlines in 2003 (the national aviation company).

In 2003, he was representing shareholders of the National Bank after expropriation of the gold reserves by the Belgian State.

In 2005, M. Modrikamen represented the activist fund Knight Vincke which forced Suez lo launch a takeover bid on Electrabel, after having obtained a preliminary ruling in favor of the shareholders.

In 2007, he obtained the first cancellation award ever granted by the Brussels court of Appeal nullifying a decision of the competition body (Echo case).

In 2008, he represented Fortis shareholders fighting the dismantling of the group. He obtained the suspension of the transaction and the convening of general meetings of shareholders to vote on these transactions. As a result of his action, Fortis was able to retain its insurance arm Ageas. The Belgian government was consequently forced to resign.

In December 2010, Mischaël Modrikamen announced that he will focus on the renovation of the Belgian political life and announced that he would put an end to his firm. He will lead the Fortis case to its term and retain some limited advise and consultancy activity.

Political career

As early as the beginning of the years 2000s, Mischaël Modrikamen was a vocal defender of the fight of our western democracies against Islamism. He published strong opinions in leading newspapers in that respect.[4] After witnessing the absence of vision of most Belgian politicians in the Fortis case as well as the absence of truly conservative party on the Belgian French speaking political scene, Mischaël Modrikamen announced in June 2009 that it would launch its own political movement.

On November 26, 2009, Modrikamen officially created the Parti Populaire (PP) based on the values of justice, responsibility and solidarity.[5] Without substantial funding and without access to the media, especially TV debates preceding the elections, the Parti Populaire nevertheless obtained 4% of the vote in Brussels and Wallonia and its first deputy.

After the elections, the King also consulted Mischaël Modrikamen in order to access the political situation.[6]

In November 2010, Mischaël Modrikamen criticized “reasonable accommodations” when applied on a religious purpose. According to him, religious adjustments are “unreasonable” because they tend “to impose multicultural and intercultural values”. Moreover, these adjustments are “too influenced by Muslim demands” that are threatening non-negotiable values such as the equality of women and men and the separation between the state and religion.[7]

By the end of November 2010, Mischaël Modrikamen announced that the Parti Populaire would be the first French speaking party to take a confederalist stance in the current political debate.

In June 2010, Modrikamen claimed that "zero tolerance policy" has decreased Cureghem's crime rate by 30%.[8] (Cureghem is a Brussels neighbourhood)

In August 2011, Modrikamen reacted to the riots that took place in several cities around England. In the newspaper Le Soir, he said this situation was the "premise of a civil war led by minorities".[9]

On September 2, 2011, Mischaël Modrikamen declared on Twizz Radio that "Islam has indeed some fascist aspects" but said that "Islam as a private religion causes no particular problems". According to him, a part of immigration "undermines all the values on which Europe was built". "We use a plain language which is bothering the established parties. A language the population has been waiting for so long", he added.[10]

Bibliography

Several books have been published on Mischaël Modrikamen actions: "Fortis jusqu'au bout", in Dutch "Fortis tot de laatste snik" written by M. Modrikamen and Mr. Charles Bricman on the Fortis case. One would also recommend "Fortis, Dexia, le séisme", "La chute de la maison Fortis" and "Banqueroute", all written by journalists which describe Mischaël Modrikmen's action. A first biography of Mischaël Modrikamen was published in 2009 under the title "Modrikamen Recht door zee" ("Modrikamen straight ahead").

References

  1. ↑ "Socialists on the Rise in Wallonia". L'Anglophone. Retrieved 4 July 2010. 
  2. ↑ Olivier Collot, Marcel Modrikamen, le président de l'Institut Gailly, échappe de justesse à un attentat, Le Soir, 19 February 1991.
  3. ↑ Fortisgate. Taking the Exit-Gate from Belgian Justice-Gate
  4. ↑ Mischaël Modrikamen, Notre démocratie et ses ennemis, La Libre Belgique, 24 November 2002.
  5. ↑ Modrikamen lance son parti le 26 novembre, Belga, 14 October 2009.
  6. ↑ Le Roi poursuivra ses consultations mercredi, Belga, 15 June 2010.
  7. ↑ Modrikamen dénonce une attaque frontale, La Dernière Heure, 9 November 2010.
  8. ↑ Benoît Toussaint, "Nous rétablirons la sécurité", Metro, 15 June 2011
  9. ↑ Chez nous: la police bruxelloise reste zen, Le Soir, 10 August 2011
  10. ↑ Mischaël Modrikamen: "l'Islam politique a effectivement des aspects fascistes", La Libre Belgique, 2 September 2011

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