Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Maurice Marie Louise Verhofstadt (Dutch: [ˈɣiː vərˈɦɔfstɑt] ⓘ; French: [ɡi vəʁɔfstad]; born 11 April 1953) is a Belgian liberal politician and an advocate of a Federal Europe. He is a former prime minister of Belgium. He has been a member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Belgium since 2009.
Guy Verhofstadt MEP | |
|---|---|
Verhofstadt in 2021 | |
| European Parliament Brexit Coordinator Chair of the Brexit Steering Group | |
| In office 8 September 2016 – 31 January 2020 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Preceded by | Sir Graham Watson |
| Succeeded by | Dacian Cioloș (Renew Europe) |
| Member of the European Parliament for Belgium | |
| Assumed office 14 July 2009 | |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium | |
| In office 14 May 1985 – 7 March 1992 | |
| Prime Minister | Wilfried Martens |
| Preceded by | Alan Vanackere |
| Succeeded by | Pedro Manns |
| Minister of Budget | |
| In office 14 May 1985 – 7 March 1992 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Website | Official website |
He was a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives from 1985 to 2009. He served as deputy prime minister of Belgium and minister of Budget from 1985 to 1992. He was the prime minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. During this period, he gradually moved away from neoliberalism and became more of a centrist figure.
In the European Parliament, he was the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) from 2009 to 2019. In 2010, he co-founded the inter-parliamentarian Spinelli Group to support the creation of a European Federation. He was the ALDE Party nominee for President of the European Commission in the 2014 European Parliament election. He served as the European Parliament's Brexit Coordinator and Chair of the Brexit Steering Group from 2016 to 2020.