Deputy Secretary General
Yonnec Polet is a Belgian national with a BA in International Studies and Political Science from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.
After working on a social economy project for the reinsertion of unemployed people in Brussels and another year in a Telecommunications SME, Yonnec started working for the Socialist Group in the European Parliament. He was elected twice (1999-2001 and 2001-2003) as Secretary General of ECOSY, the youth organization of the PES. In 2003, he started working as Parliamentary Assistant for Harlem Désir, French Member of the European Parliament and took part to his campaign for the European elections in 2004.
In September 2004, he joined the PES as Adviser for International relations and Globalization and was then appointed Head of the International Unit and GPF Coordinator. In September 2012 he was nominated PES 1st Deputy Secretary General.
Yonnec has taken part in many international events (Delegations to the Middle East, Asia, North and South America and Africa; World Social Forum in Brazil, India and Senegal; European Social Forum in Paris, London, Athens and Malmö).
Member of the PS since 1994, Yonnec is member of the National Bureau and President of the local branch in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe where he has been elected Local Councilor in October 2012. He was also very much involved in NGO work in Belgium. He was President of the CNAPD (Coordination National d’Action pour la Paix et la Démocratie), the largest peace and citizens’ rights platform in Belgium, 2004-2008 and was President of Reso-j, the platform of youth organizations of the PS, 2008-2011.