居伊·伏思达

生平

1953年生于登德尔蒙德市。1992年11月，荷语自由与进步党改为弗拉芒自由民主党后，当选弗拉芒自由民主党主席。1999年7月12日当选为比利时首相。他是联邦欧洲的支持者，“欧洲合众国”的倡导者，所著《走向欧洲合众国》。

伏思达的父亲曾担任荷语自由与进步党主席维利·德克莱尔的法律顾问。1972至1974年伏思达在根特学习法律的时期担任荷语自由学生联合会（Flemish Liberal Student's Union）主席，1982年，年仅29岁的伏思达成为荷语自由与进步党主席。

首相任期

他在1999年拜相，是比利时数十年来首位并非来自社会党及基督教民主党的首相。任内在2003年通过比利时同性婚姻合法化。连任三届后于2008年该党败选后宣布辞职。

辞职以后

2009年当选欧洲议会议员，并成为欧洲自由民主联盟党团主席，积极在议会发挥作用，至2019年随党圑易名为复兴欧洲而卸任主席。

荣誉

外国勋章奖章

恩里克王子大十字勋章（葡萄牙，2006年3月8日公布)

Guy Maurice Marie Louise Verhofstadt (Dutch: [ˈɣi vərˈɦɔfstɑt] ; French: [ɡi vəʁɔfstad]; born 11 April 1953) is a Belgian politician who served as the prime minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. He was a member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Belgium from 2009 until 2024. Verhofstadt 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, Verhofstadt 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.

Early life and career

Born in 1953 in Dendermonde, Verhofstadt became president of the Liberaal Vlaams Studententverbond (Liberal Flemish Students' Association) (1972–1974), while studying law at the University of Ghent. He quickly became the secretary of Willy De Clercq, who was at that time the president of the Flemish liberal party (PVV). In 1982, at age 29, he became president of the party.……

Prime Minister of Belgium

Verhofstadt I

Partly because of a food scandal that broke out just before the 1999 elections, the VLD became the largest party in the country, obtaining over 22% of the vote in Flanders. He quickly formed a coalition with the Flemish socialists and greens and the French-speaking counterparts of these parties (a symmetric coalition) in Brussels and Wallonia. He was appointed prime minister on 12 July 1999, the first liberal to hold that office since 1938.……

Verhofstadt II

Following the 2003 Belgian federal election, Verhofstadt formed his second cabinet without the green parties, who were virtually annihilated in the election.……

Member of the European Parliament

In the 2009 European Parliament election in Belgium, Verhofstadt was elected a member of the European Parliament for the term 2009–2014. He has since been appointed to the Committee on Constitutional Affairs. On 1 July 2009, Verhofstadt was elected President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group in the European Parliament. In this capacity, he was also a member of the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament until July 2019.……

Other activities

Corporate boards

APG Asset Management, Member of the Board of Directors

Sofina, Independent Member of the Board of Directors (since 2012)

Exmar Group, Independent Member of the Board of Directors (2010–2016)

His income from these activities is estimated to be at least 180,000 euros

Non-profit organizations

Berggruen Institute, Member of the Council for the Future of Europe

Club de Madrid, Member

European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA), Chairman of the Board of Governors

Political positions

Iraq War

Verhofstadt opposed the American-led invasion of Iraq. In 2005, during a meeting with U.S. president George W. Bush, Verhofstadt said: "The time has come to draw a line under the tensions of the recent past. It makes little sense to continue arguing about who was right and who was wrong."

Arab–Israeli conflict

As prime minister, Verhofstadt supported "ethical diplomacy", international law and multilateralism, as well as Louis Michel's équidistance policy in the Arab–Israeli conflict.……

Bahraini uprising

Verhofstadt condemned the killings of protesters during Bahrain's pro-democracy uprising in 2011.……

Honours and awards

Belgian honours

Belgium: Minister of State, by Royal decree.

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.