Mr. Chancellor,
In times of rapid change and challenge, such as
Europe and the world are undergoing today, it is individuals of both competence, intelligence, and vision who must set the course,
and Guy Verhofstadt is
such a man. As Mr. Verhofstadt himself recently remarked, drawing on Hoelderin, “what we need to guide the European Union
to its final destination are both gods and beggars, both dreamers and
thinkers.” But Guy Verhofstadt adds another quality to Holderin’s depiction, namely the active agent of change. On
his journey from a small Flemish
town where he grew up to the halls of Rue de la Loi
Wetstraat 16 and the current office as President in
office of the European Council, Guy Verhofstadt has
developed leadership qualities which embody his vision of the new Europe. I am honoured, on behalf of Europeanists and those who love
Europe, to present him to you, Guy Verhofstadt, the dreamer, the thinker, and the activist.
The seeds of Guy
Verhofstadt’s leadership capabilities were evident
from his youth. After completing his studies in law in 1975 at the
University of
Ghent, Guy Verhofstadt immediately embarked on what was to be a stellar
political course, rising from local office, as a town council member, to
national prominence, as the youngest party leader in his country. Throughout his career, Mr. Verhofstadt worked progressively to put into political
practice the notion he had first expressed in the burgermanifesten (citizens’ manifestos), blueprints for
political reform intended to realize his vision of a closer link between
citizens and political leaders. Throughout his career Guy Verhofstadt has expressed his belief in transparency,
efficiency, and democratic legitimacy as hallmarks of sound governance. In 1999, as head of the Flemish
Liberals and Democrats (VLD), Guy Verhofstadt took on
the post of Prime Minister of Belgium.
Since July of this year he has been President-in-office of the
European Council.
The ideas which
germinated in Guy Verhofstadt’s youth have now come onto the
European stage. Mr. Verhofstadt has assured that the question of the goals of a
integrated Europe remain squarely in the centre of public discourse, calling for
discussion of the nature of
European identity and of Europe’s future, a discussion which goes well
beyond consideration of the concrete edifices of European decision-making. A strong supporter of the enlargement of
the European Union to include the countries of the former Soviet bloc in Central
and Eastern Europe, Guy Verhofstadt sees a unified Europe as
a bulwark of security and human dignity. A proponent of an effective Charter of Fundamental Rights, the goals he has worked for represent
the hallmark of European self-identity,
the realization of democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and human
solidarity –not , however, limited to the borders of the European Union, but in
recognition of Europe’s historical
responsibility in a globalizing environment.
Adversaire des tendances nationalistes subsistantes, Guy
Verhofstadt est un des leaders politiques ouverts sur les relations inter-depéndantes, inter-nationales,
inter-culturelles; sur la
gouvernance de proximité.
Les homme d’état aujourd’hui sont des hommes a l’écoute du monde. Guy Verhofstadt est l’un de ce petit nombre.
Guy Verhofstadt is a man of Europe and of
the world. His is an inclusive, not an exclusive vision, an appropriate marker
in this year of the 25th anniversary of EU-Canada relations.
In recognition
of an outstanding career in politics, and a significant contribution to the
evolution of the European Union, I request that you confer the degree of Doctor
of Laws, honoris causa, upon Guy Verhofstadt.