He sat on the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and was a substitute for the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, a vice-chair of the Delegation for relations with Mercosur and a substitute for the Delegation to the EU-Bulgaria Joint Parliamentary Committee. In 2006 Duquesne had a cerebral infarction which left him paralysed and unable to speak and which prevented him to fulfill his office of member of the European parliament for the remainder of his term or even to resign his mandate, as that formally required his signature, which he no longer was able to give. Honours 1998 : Minister of State. 1999 : Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold. 2002 : Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau. 2009 : Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Leopold II. References External links Personal Website 1941 births 2010 deaths Belgian Ministers of State Grand Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau Recipients of the Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II Mayors of places in Belgium MEPs for Belgium 2004–2009 People from Ixelles People from Manhay Politicians from Brussels University of Liège alumni Academic staff of the University of Liège