Guy Verhofstadt

Guy Verhofstadt’s Background

After studying law, Guy became a member of the Ghent City Council and quickly rose within the ranks of Belgium’s VLD party. He became an MP and then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Budget whilst still in his 30s. After loosing power, Guy took control of the party and reinvented it, making more attractive to representatives of other parties. After taking time away from Politics, Guy returned as president of the VLD winning the general election and becoming the first liberal PM in over 60 years. Guy retained the office for eight years before becoming a Senator and then an MEP.

Guy argues for reform to the EU so that it focuses much more on the key problems facing both Europe and the world – the economic crisis, crime, the disparity between rich and poor and other key political issues. He also supports greater integration within the EU, building a stronger commercial and trading bloc, with a single currency, treasury and economic policy, creating more jobs and competing with the US and the emerging Asian economies. He examines the mistakes of the past, the likely outcomes for The Future and why Europe can be a superpower if it escapes its history and embraces revolution.

A regular voice in media across Europe, Guy is also the author of a number of books on Europe including The United States of Europe, The New Age of Empires and Emerging from the Crisis: How Europe can Save the World.