Guy Verhofstadt

Guy Verhofstadt , born the April 11th 1953 with Termonde in Belgium, is the 46^e and current Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium of 1999 with 2007.

Minister of state, it is of tendency liberal democrat (he is member of VLD). After the Belgian federal elections of June 13rd, 1999, it takes the head of a gathering government, for the first time in Belgium, liberal, socialist and ecologists, the Gouvernement Verhofstadt I (known as Coalition Rainbow). The victory of the liberal and socialist with the elections of the May 18th 2003, enables him to take the head of a government Socialist-liberal, the Gouvernement Verhofstadt II.

With the international plan, its name had also circulated to take the succession of Romano Prodi to the head of the European commission in 2004, had supported by French President Jacques Chirac and the German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, but this one encountered in particular a British refusal because of its opposition to the war in Iraq. One preferred finally the Portuguese to him Jose Manuel Durão Barroso.

Childhood and adolescence

Guy Verhofstadt grows in Flanders, in the Gantese area . It makes its primary studies at the elementary school of Ledeberg. It finishes its humanities in Latin-Greek with the Royal Athenaeum of Ghent in 1970. He was regarded by his professors as a rebellious teenager. He obtains his first great distinction with the Université of State of Ghent, where he studies the Droit of 1971 to 1975. He takes the presidency of the Union of the liberal students of the university of 1972 1974.

Career before becoming Prime Minister

Guy Verhofstadt accepts the load of secretary of Willy De Clercq in 1977 which is president of the Flemish Liberal party (PVV) at that time. In 1982, he becomes president of the PVV (Flemish Liberal party) at 29 years. It enters to the Chambre of the Representatives, in 1985. This same year, King Baudouin Ier of Belgium names it Deputy Prime Minister and Ministre for the Budget, the scientific Policy and the Plan, in the government Martens VI. Its radical sights of the economy and its young age, will be worth to him the nickname of “Baby Thatcher”. It sits during the 47e legislature of the Room of the Representatives of Belgium (1988-1991). After its unfruitful attempt to form a government in 1991, it enters the opposition and transforms the PVV into Vlaamse Liberalen in Democraten (VLD). He resigns, after the electoral failure of his party, to return in 1997 with less radical political ideas.

Publications

December 2005: Verenigde staten van Europa (the United States of Europe)

See too

Political of Belgium
List of the Prime Ministers of Belgium
Belgian Federal governments Verhofstadt I and Verhofstadt II
Her brother Dirk Verhofstadt

External bond

Internet site of the First Belgian minister

Random links: