A Belgian heads up Australia
Born in the Belgian town of Eupen in 1970, Mathias Cormann studied law at the KUL (Leuven) before launching his political career and becoming Municipal Councillor of Raeren in 1995. One year later he decided to fly off to Australia for good. A choice which turned out to be a crucial one when, twenty-six years later, he became Prime Minister.
This position may only be temporary, however, this does not alter the rapid rise of this former German-speaking Belgian. This position is owed to the resignation of the current Vice Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce. With the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull having to head off the United States for a week, he will be replaced by his Minister for Finance, Mathias Cormann.
For several years now, Cormann has been considered a key and trustworthy figure in Australian politics. As a member of the Australian Liberal party and boasting a certain political experience from his time in Belgium, Cormann has quickly climbed the political ladder, to become senator in 2007, Liberal party spokesman in 2010, Finance Minister in 2013 and finally Prime Minister (on an interim basis) in 2018.