Last week’s De Morgen/VTM poll was no different. It did reveal one new thing, though: the rising popularity of Maggie De Block.

When De Block (Open VLD) became secretary of state for asylum, migration and poverty in the federal government, few people had heard of her. Insiders knew her as a hardworking backbencher, with a thorough knowledge of social affairs. But her entering the federal government came as a surprise even to them, as most had expected Gwendolyn Rutten, now party president, to take the job.

De Block’s first weeks were disastrous. Not an expert in the issues in her portfolio, she committed herself to some serious studying. In the meantime, she got mixed up about numbers and used the word “gang bangs” instead of “gangs” in one interview. As winter set in, freezing temperatures left immigrant families desperate for shelter – an issue that had been around for years.

To make matters worse, De Block, a general practitioner, became the butt of many a joke because of her weight – in a way no male politician has ever had to endure. The secretary of state kept her spirits up, but the verbal abuse became so much that Freya Van den Bossche, a political adversary if anything, came to her aid. A woman can never do right, stated Van den Bossche, known for her good looks; either she is too pretty or not pretty enough.

The negative atmosphere surrounding De Block had a rather contradictory effect. Her popularity grew, first of all in her own party, where the members felt she was unfairly treated. De Block set to work and delivered. Due to her policy of dissuasion, the unnaturally high number of asylum requests went down for the first time in years. This winter, no families were left out in the cold.

“I do my job”, is all De Block has to say about this. This was her reaction too, when the poll was published. De Block only found out about it hours later. She was too busy doing her job.