JEAN-LUC DEHAENE

Former Prime Minister
Belgium


Jean-Luc Dehaene was born in Montpellier, France on 7 August 1940. He gained his degrees in law and economics at the Universities of Namur and Leuven. He started his political career in 1967 with C.V.P. Jongeren. From 1971, he held the position of advisor to a number of Ministerial Cabinets, and then worked as a Head of Cabinet for several different Ministers. He first held a ministerial post in 1981. From 1988 to 1992, he then became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Traffic and Transport and Institutional Reform. Finally, as Prime Minister, he led two governments, viz., from 1992 to 1995, and subsequently from 1995 to July 1999.

He is seen as the architect of state reform. He led Belgium into the Euro economy and reorganised the government finances.

On the international level, he entered the footlights at the moment of election of a new president of the Commission. The UK was the only country to object his candidature because of his image to be a convinced federalist.

Dehaene is former vice-president of the European Convention.

He is known to be an excellent and strong negotiator, who manages to put together impossible compromises.