Guy Verhofstadt was previously the Prime Minister in Belgium and has since served as a member of the European Parliament for the last ten years. He has also been the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe since 2009. With these achievements on this CV, the Brexit negotiator is due to visit London today to back one party’s campaign regarding Brexit. But who is Guy Verhofstadt and what are his thoughts on Brexit?
Who is Guy Verhofstadt?
Guy Verhofstadt was born in Dendermonde in 1953.
He became involved in politics at an early age when he became president of the LIberal Flemish Student’s union while studying law at the University of Ghent.
His career then took him to the Party for Freedom and Progress where he worked as the secretary of Willy De Clercq, the party’s president.
At 29, Mr Verhofstadt became president of the party and was just three years later elected into the Chamber of Deputies, soon becoming Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Budget under Prime Minister Wilifred Martens.
Verhofstadt’s Brexit INTERVENTION: Who is Guy Verhofstadt and why is he chatting all things Brexit? (Image: GETTY)
Due to his economic views and young age, he actually became known as “Baby Thatcher” in the political world.
After this, his was ousted from the government and became the leader of the opposition.
The liberal lion tried and failed to form a government in November 1991, later changing the name of the party to Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD) which attracted politicians from other parties.
But, despite high expectations the party failed to outstrip the incumbent party and Mr Verhofstadt resigned.
He then gradually moved away from neoliberalism and became more of a centrist figure.
Verhofstadt’s Brexit INTERVENTION: Vince Cable with Verhofstadt canvassing for EU elections (Image: GETTY)
Later, after the VLD gained more than 22 percent of the vote, Mr Verhofstadt went on to become Prime Minister and formed a coalition government with the Flemish socialists, greens and the French-speaking counterparts of these parties in Brussels and Wallonia.
He became Prime Minister in July 1999, the first liberal to hold the post since 1938.
Mr Verhofstadt formed his second cabinet without the green parties which were decimated in the election.
In the 2004 regional elections, his party lost votes and slipped into third place.
Although this had no direct impact upon his position as Prime Minister there were rumours that the other parties had won the elections and would participate in federal government.
Verhofstadt’s Brexit INTERVENTION: The Belgian MEP speaking to press at 10 Downing Street last year (Image: GETTY)
He stayed on as Prime Minister until 2008 despite facing a series of internal crises including the government coming close to collapse given its poor ratings in the opinion polls.
In 2009, a year after stepping down as PM, Mr Verhofstadt was elected a member of the European Parliament and was also elected President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group.
In September 2016, just a few months after the Brexit referendum vote, Mr Verhofstadt was then elected as Brexit coordinator for the European Union.
This means he works in the Brexit Steering Group which is aimed at coordinating, preparing European Parliament’s deliberations, considerations and resolutions on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
Verhofstadt’s Brexit INTERVENTION: The Belgian MEP walking with David Davis in March 2018 (Image: GETTY)
What are Guy Verhofstadt’s views on Brexit?
Guy Verhofstadt is a strong advocate of the European Union and has been publicly backed remain campaigns.
In public statements, Mr Verhofstadt has focused on the rights of EU citizens within the UK and British citizens living in the EU.
In fact, Mr Verhofstadt is visiting London today to throw his support behind Sir Vince Cable and the Liberal Democrats on their European elections campaign trail.
Mr Cable launched his party’s campaign this week with the message “B****cks to Brexit” as the party continues to fight to keep the UK in the EU.
The campaign is aimed at attracted pro-EU voters to the election on May 23.
Verhofstadt’s Brexit INTERVENTION: The Eu’s Brexit Coordinator visiting 10 Downing Street last March (Image: GETTY)
Mr Verhofstadt’s opinions on Brexit were further studied in behind the scenes footage from the BBC documentary Brexit: Behind Closed Doors which showed the Belgian MEP on a train journey laughing at a satirical drafted tweet aimed at Britain.
During the documentary, filmmakers followed Guy Verhofstadt during the negotiations in 2017.
The BBC Brexit documentary angered Leavers across the country after he was filmed laughing at the UK’s dire attempts to get out of the EU and appeared to mock Theresa May.
Previously, Mr Verhofstadt has mocked the government for “going nowhere” and said Mrs May looks “super stressed” after a meeting in Downing Street.
He has also repeatedly used social media to tease Britain about its attempts to exit from the EU.
