Born in 1944 in Charleroi (Belgium), Mr. Van Cauwenberghe made his career in the Socialist Party (SP) where he rose through the ranks to become mayor of Charleroi in 1983. From 1995 to 1999 he was minister of Public Works and Budget in the Walloon Regional Government. From 1999 to 2000 he was vice-Prime Minister of Wallonia and since 2000 he is Prime Minister of this southern region of Belgium.

Mr. Van Cauwenberghe has been at the very center of the nation-building activities of his people of 3,5 million, who only in 1844 defined their territory as “Wallonia”. ‘Van Cau’ as he likes to be called, has extensively published on the Walloon question. "Oser être Wallon" (Dare to be Walloon) and more recently "Choisir la Wallonie" (Choose Wallonia), are both pleas for an open and solidary Walloon identity.