5 Belgian Prime Ministers with European achievements
Even if Belgium is a small country, its representatives are deeply involved in the European Union and have brought huge positive political changes in Belgium concerning the European Union. Let’s focus on the Prime Ministers and especially on those with great European achievements.
1. Wilfried Martens
Wilfried Martens was a Flemish politician who was a member of the Flemish Christian-Democrats (CD&V). He served as Prime Minister from 1979 until 1992. Concerning the European Union, he created the EPP (the European People’s Party) in 1992 of which he was president. The party gathers all European centre-right and some liberal-conservative organizations. It is the largest fraction in the European Parliament and the European Council. Wilfried Martens was also a member of the European Parliament, representing the EPP from 1994 until 1998.
2. Jean-Luc Dehaene
Jean-Luc Dehaene was a Belgian politician who also was a member of the CD&V. He served as Prime Minister from 1992 until 1999. Concerning the European Union, his greatest achievement is to have brought Belgium in the Eurozone.
3. Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt is a Belgian politician who is a member of the Open VLD (Flemish Liberal-Democrats). He served as Prime Minister from 1999 until 2008. In regard to the European Union, he is a European deputy and is since 2009 president of the ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group), which is the fourth most important political fraction in the European Parliament.
4. Herman Van Rompuy
Herman Van Rompuy is certainly the Belgian politician who has done the most for Europe. He is a member of the Christian-Democrats (CD&V) and was President of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives from 2007 until 2008. He served as Prime Minister from 2008 until 2009. Concerning the European Union, he was President of the European Council from 2010 until 2014. He also was President of the Eurozone from 2012 until 2014.
5. Elio Di Rupo
Elio Di Rupo, Belgian politician, is the leader of the Wallonian social democrat party (PS). He served as Prime Minister from 2011 until 2014. He went to the European Parliament as a European deputy in 1989 but stayed only for a short time.
