Guy Verhofstadt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Guy Verhofstadt
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Verhofstadt in 2021
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| European Parliament Brexit Coordinator Chair of the Brexit Steering Group |
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| In office 8 September 2016 – 31 January 2020 |
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| President | Martin Schulz Antonio Tajani David Sassoli |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Prime Minister of Belgium | |
| In office 12 July 1999 – 20 March 2008 |
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| Monarch | Albert II |
| Deputy | Laurette Onkelinx Didier Reynders |
| Preceded by | Jean-Luc Dehaene |
| Succeeded by | Yves Leterme |
| Leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group | |
| In office 1 July 2009 – 1 July 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Sir Graham Watson |
| Succeeded by | Dacian Cioloș (Renew Europe) |
| Member of the European Parliament for Belgium |
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| Assumed office 14 July 2009 |
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| Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium | |
| In office 14 May 1985 – 7 March 1992 |
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| Prime Minister | Wilfried Martens |
| Preceded by | Alan Vanackere |
| Succeeded by | Pedro Manns |
| Minister of Budget | |
| In office 14 May 1985 – 7 March 1992 |
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| Prime Minister | Wilfried Martens |
| Preceded by | Leo Uberman |
| Succeeded by | Pedro Manns |
| Member of the Chamber of Representatives | |
| In office 13 October 1985 – 14 June 2009 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Guy Maurice Marie Louise Verhofstadt
11 April 1953 Dendermonde, Belgium |
| Political party | Party for Freedom and Progress (before 1992) Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (1992–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (Before 2019) Renew Europe (2019–present) |
| Spouse | Dominique Verkinderen |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Ghent University |
| Signature |  |
Guy Verhofstadt (born 11 April 1953) is a Belgian politician who believes in liberal ideas and a united Europe. He used to be the Prime Minister of Belgium and was also a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Belgium from 2009 to 2024.
He was a member of the Belgian parliament from 1985 to 2009. During this time, he served as deputy prime minister and minister of Budget from 1985 to 1992. He then became the prime minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. Over these years, his political views became more centrist, meaning he moved towards the middle ground.
In the European Parliament, he led the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) from 2009 to 2019. He also helped create the Spinelli Group in 2010, which aims to bring European countries closer together. He was the European Parliament's main person for Brexit talks from 2016 to 2020.
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Guy Verhofstadt's Early Life and Political Start
Guy Verhofstadt was born in 1953 in Dendermonde, Belgium. While studying law at the University of Ghent, he became the president of the Liberal Flemish Students' Association (1972–1974). He quickly became the assistant to Willy De Clercq, who was then the head of the Flemish liberal party.
In 1982, at just 29 years old, Verhofstadt became the president of his party. In 1985, he was elected to the Belgian parliament. He then became the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Budget under Prime Minister Wilfried Martens. Because of his strong economic ideas and young age, he was sometimes called "Baby Thatcher".
After leaving the government, he became the leader of the opposition parties. He later changed his party's name to the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD). This new party attracted many politicians from other groups. Over time, he became more of a centrist figure, moving away from his earlier, more extreme economic views. This change was especially clear when he became Prime Minister.
Leading Belgium: Prime Minister (1999–2008)
First Term as Prime Minister (1999-2003)
In 1999, a food scandal happened just before the elections. This helped Verhofstadt's party, the VLD, become the biggest party in Belgium. He quickly formed a government with the Flemish and French-speaking socialist and green parties. On 12 July 1999, he became Prime Minister, the first liberal to hold this job since 1938. It was also the first Belgian government in a long time without a Christian Democratic party, and the first to include green parties.
In 2002, Verhofstadt received the Vision for Europe Award for his efforts to unite Europe. The good economic situation at the time allowed him to increase social benefits for people and lower taxes. However, after 2001, the economy slowed down. To help with future pensions, a special fund called the 'Aging Fund' or 'Silver Fund' was created.
Before the Iraq War in 2003, Belgium, led by Verhofstadt, joined France, Germany, and Russia in opposing the invasion of Iraq led by the United States.
Second Term as Prime Minister (2003-2007)
After the 2003 elections, Verhofstadt formed his second government. This time, the green parties were not included because they lost many votes. The new government was made up of his liberal parties and the social democratic parties.
Belgium had a "War Crimes Law" that allowed people to bring war crime charges in Belgian courts, even if the crimes happened in other countries. This law faced criticism, so Verhofstadt's government agreed to change it to have more limited rules.
In the 2004 regional elections, his party lost votes. Verhofstadt was suggested as a candidate to become the next President of the European Commission (the main body of the EU), but leaders like Tony Blair opposed him because of his strong criticism of the 2003 Iraq War.
After this, Verhofstadt faced several problems within Belgium. One big issue was about DHL investing in Brussels Airport. There was a debate about allowing DHL extra night landing rights, which caused public discussion and court cases. In the end, DHL used the Brussels option to get better deals from another city.
Another problem was about how powers were divided for the Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde area. This issue caused a long political crisis that lasted until 2005. In 2005, Verhofstadt successfully negotiated a "Generation Pact" for employment and social reforms, despite opposition from unions.
In 2006, a fake news report on Belgian TV claimed that the Flemish parliament had declared independence from Belgium. This caused widespread alarm, and Verhofstadt called the report "irresponsible."
Interim Government (2007-2008)
In the 2007 elections, Verhofstadt's party showed signs of losing support. He admitted defeat and said he would step down as prime minister once a new government was formed. However, forming a new government was very difficult.
Because of urgent policy matters, the King asked Verhofstadt to lead an "interim government" for three months to propose a budget for 2008. This temporary government started on 21 December 2007 and won a vote of confidence in parliament.
Belgium was one of the first countries to recognize Kosovo's independence on 24 February 2008. On 20 March 2008, a "permanent government" led by Yves Leterme took over. After his time as prime minister, Verhofstadt became a Senator.
Working in the European Parliament (2009-2024)
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In the 2009 European Parliament election, Verhofstadt was elected as a member of the European Parliament. He joined the Committee on Constitutional Affairs.
On 1 July 2009, Verhofstadt was chosen to be the President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group in the European Parliament. In 2010, he supported the new Spinelli Group, which aims to bring the European Union closer together.
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In September 2016, Verhofstadt was appointed as the European Parliament's representative for Brexit matters. He focused on protecting the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and British citizens living in the EU. In November 2016, he warned the European Parliament about a rise of "autocrats" (leaders with total power), mentioning Russia and Turkey.
From 2019, Verhofstadt was part of a group working on the future of Europe. By 2021, he was chosen to lead the Conference on the Future of Europe.
On 8 May 2023, Verhofstadt announced that he would retire from politics after the current parliament's term ended. On 11 April 2024, he led the Parliament to deny money to the Council of Europe because they had not found enough air defenses for Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
Guy Verhofstadt's Views on Important Issues
Iraq War
Verhofstadt was against the American-led invasion of Iraq. In 2005, he met with U.S. President George W. Bush and said it was time to move past the disagreements and not keep arguing about who was right or wrong.
Bahraini Uprising
Verhofstadt spoke out against the killing of protesters during Bahrain's pro-democracy uprising in 2011. He said that these incidents needed to be properly investigated and that the Formula One Grand Prix should not return to Bahrain until this happened.
Catalan Independence
In 2017, Verhofstadt opposed the Catalan independence referendum in Spain, saying it "lacked basic democratic legitimacy." However, he also criticized Spain's use of violence.
Russia
In April 2015, Verhofstadt criticized Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said Tsipras should not try to play Putin against the EU and should follow common rules. In May 2015, Verhofstadt was put on a Russian blacklist, meaning he was not allowed to enter the country.
In June 2018, Verhofstadt said there was a "circle of evil around our continent" including Putin's Russia, Erdoğan's Turkey, and Trump's United States. He also criticized some European politicians, calling them "cheerleaders of Putin" who want to "destroy Europe."
Turkey
In November 2016, Verhofstadt said that talks for Turkey to join the EU should be paused until Turkey meets certain conditions. In May 2017, he accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of being hypocritical for talking about freedom of speech while journalists were in prison in Turkey.
Migration
In August 2015, during the European migrant crisis, Verhofstadt called for changes to the EU's system for handling asylum and migration. He also criticized leaders like UK Prime Minister David Cameron and French President François Hollande for opposing a plan to share migrant requests among all EU countries. He urged countries to stop building walls and focus on helping people.
European Unity
After the 2005 votes in France and the Netherlands on the European Constitution, Verhofstadt wrote a book called "United States of Europe". In his book, he argued that Europeans want "more Europe" and closer unity.
In September 2019, Verhofstadt said that the future world order would be based on "empires" like China, India, the US, and Russia. He believed that Europeans, including the British, could only protect their interests by working together within the European Union.
Brexit
Verhofstadt has been a strong critic of Brexit (the UK leaving the EU). In January 2013, he called Brexit "stupidity" because so much of Britain's trade goes to Europe. In February 2016, he said that only Nigel Farage and Vladimir Putin would benefit from Brexit.
In July 2016, he said that the UK was becoming an "adversary" rather than a trusted partner of the EU. In October 2017, he described Northern Ireland as being in a "frozen conflict" because of the border issues.
In February 2019, Verhofstadt joked that Brexit leaders like Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg might face a similar fate to leaders of the French Revolution. In May 2019, he joined anti-Brexit supporters in London, saying, "We have to stop nationalism and populism the fastest as possible because otherwise, it could be the end of a fantastic project."
Awards and Recognitions
Belgian Honours
Belgium: Minister of State- Belgium: Grand Cordon in the Order of Leopold (21 April 2008)
- Belgium: Grand Cross in the Order of the Crown (5 June 2007)
Foreign Honours
Denmark: Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog (2002)
Finland: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (30 March 2004)
Greece: Grand Cross of the Order of Honour (2005)
Italy: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (20 February 1986)
Norway: Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (2003)
Poland: Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (14 October 2004)
Spain: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (2000)
Sweden: Commander Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star (2001)
Other Awards
European Union: In 2007, Verhofstadt received the European Book Prize for his book United States of Europe.- European Union: In 2019, he received the Outstanding Achievement award at The Parliament Magazine's annual MEP Awards.
Images for kids
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Guy Verhofstadt's signature.
See also
- Crown Council of Belgium
- United States of Europe
- Dirk Verhofstadt, his brother
