Michel Daerden (16 November 1949 – 5 August 2012) was a francophone Belgian politician, a member of the Parti Socialiste, and a finance auditor.

With a reputation as a 'bon vivant', his undenied penchant for a drink (especially Pomerol)[1] led him to be nicknamed "the Gainsbourg of Belgian Politics" both by himself in a famous TV interview[2] and by Belgium's much respected weekly news magazine Le Vif/L'Express.

In March 2011 a majority of the town council, including members of his own party, voted to depose Daerden as mayor.

[citation needed] On 26 July 2012, while on holiday in France, Daerden suffered a heart attack which put him in a coma.

Excerpts of his post-election interview on RTBF and on local television RTC-Télé Liège [fr], where he appears intoxicated, were circulated widely on YouTube.