Elio Di Rupo is the leader of the Wallonian Parti Socialiste (PS) and one of Belgium's most powerful and popular politicians.

Di Rupo is a flamboyant left-winger, and is widely considered to have played a major part in the resurgence of the PS, now the joint largest party in the Belgian parliament.

He is a deputy (MP) for the Hainaut division of Wallonia. He once described François Mitterrand as being "a character from a novel".