Karel De Gucht
Karel De Gucht | |
---|---|
Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
In office 18 July 2004 – 17 July 2009 | |
Prime Minister | Guy Verhofstadt Yves Leterme Herman Van Rompuy |
Preceded by | Louis Michel |
Succeeded by | Yves Leterme |
Personal details | |
Born | Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats | 27 January 1954
Spouse | Mireille Schreurs |
Children | 2, including Jean-Jacques |
Alma mater | Free University of Brussels, Dutch |
Website | www |
Karel Lodewijk Georgette Emmerence De Gucht (Dutch pronunciation:
Early life and education
De Gucht was born in
Political career
Member of the European Parliament, 1980–1994
De Gucht became a member of the European Parliament in 1980 and fulfilled this mandate until 1994. In 1989 he was the rapporteur of a landmark Parliamentary Declaration on the Fundamental Rights, leading eventually to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which was later integrated as an essential part of the Treaty of Lisbon.
Career in national politics
De Gucht entered the
He entered the Belgian government on 18 July 2004 as
European Commission, 2009–2014
In July 2009 De Gucht was appointed as the Belgian European Commissioner, in succession of Louis Michel. Like his predecessor, he was in charge of Development and Humanitarian Aid, but from February 2010 onwards, he became Commissioner of Trade in the Barroso II Commission, until 31 October 2014.
He prepared and launched free trade negotiations with the
De Gucht performed his ultimate duty as a commissioner by signing in Nairobi on 31 October 2014 the agreement with the Eastern African Community (EAC), consisting of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. He also played a key role in the conclusion of an Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine, which was a direct cause of Euromaidan and the Revolution of Dignity.
At the end of his mandate he enjoyed a strong reputation within the European Commission because of the progression in the trade portfolio during his mandate and because of his strong views on European policy questions.[4] At the end of this mandate he decided to leave politics, except on the local level, where he will be the chairman of the local council.[5]
Controversies
De Gucht is well known for his outspoken views on different political issues.
On a trip to Africa in late 2004, De Gucht sparked a diplomatic controversy when he said that "there is a problem with the political class in the Congo" and questioned its ability to tackle corruption.[6] De Gucht received a lot of informal support in diplomatic circles and media and refused to retract his statement. Subsequent news stories suggested his concerns were well-founded.[7]
In November 2008 he was accused by an anonymous person and by the president of the extreme-right party Vlaams Belang of insider trading.[8] The Ghent public prosecutor ultimately decided not to pursue an investigation in the matter stating that "from the investigations it appears that Mr. De Gucht has never abused his inside knowledge of the Fortis situation, more specifically the loss in the value of its shares", and closed the case.
Later in his career, De Gucht caused controversy by his active promotion of the
Other activities
Corporate boards
- ArcelorMittal, Member of the Board of Directors (since 2016)[10]
- Proximus, Member of the Board of Directors[11]
- CVC Capital Partners, Member of the European Advisory Board (since 2015)[12]
Non-profit organizations
- Institute for European Studies (IES) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), President[13]
Honours
- Poland: 1st class – Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.[14]
Personal life
De Gucht is married to Mireille Schreurs, who is a judge. They live in Berlare and they have two sons, Frédéric and Jean-Jacques De Gucht.
Publications
- Ketterijen – hoe overleven we onze tijd? ["Ketterijen – how do we survive our time?] Polis, 2017.
- Pluche – Over de banalisering van extreem rechts ["Pluche – On the banalisation of the extreme right"], Houtekiet, 2007.
- De toekomst is vrij : over het liberalisme in de 21ste eeuw ["The future is free – On liberalism in the 21st century"], Houtekiet, 2002.
- Het einde der pilaren : een Toscaans gesprek ["The end of religious and philosophical pillars in society – Tuscany conversations"]- with MEP Johan Van Hecke, Houtekiet, 2001.
- Er zijn geen eilanden meer: over de democratie, vrijheid en de mensrechten ["No man is an island – On democracy, liberty and human rights"], with Dirk Sterckx MEP, Houtekiet, 1999.
- Time and tide wait for no man: the changing European geopolitical landscape, Praeger Publishers, 1991.
References
- ^ "The Commissioners (2010–2014): Karel De Gucht", European Commission
- ^ European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid
- ^ "OSCE's Belgian Chairmanship says helped start new chapter for Organization". Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. 5 December 2006. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ Exit interview De Gucht
- ^ De Guchts ends as European commissioner
- ^ "Belgium rounds on former colony". BBC News. 18 October 2004. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- ^ "DR Congo slams 'Tintin' minister". BBC News. 22 October 2004.
- ^ "De Gucht: "Fortis-aandelen zijn pure privézaak"". De Morgen (in Dutch). 15 January 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
- ^ "Did you take action on ISDS? EU Trade Commissioner says you didn't". The European Free Alliance (EFA) Group in the European Parliament. 27 July 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ^ Board of Directors: Karel De Gucht ArcelorMittal.
- ^ Board of Directors: Karel De Gucht Proximus.
- ^ Minutes of the 2122nd meeting of the Commission held in Brussels (Berlaymont) on 15 April 2015 European Commission.
- ^ Management Institute for European Studies (IES) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).
- ^ "Postanowienie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 18 października 2004 r. o nadaniu orderów". isap.sejm.gov.pl. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
External links
- Official website (in English, French, German, and Dutch)