Europe: I Struggle, I Overcome (eBook)

Europe: I Struggle, I Overcome 3
Foreword 6
Acknowledgements 8
Table of Contents 9
Prologue 14
Luctor et emergo 15
Chapter I 18
Looking Back on My Life 18
The Nucleus of Everything 18
The Patience of Job 20
Children: The Happy Centre of Life 21
A Flemish Activist 22
The State of the Union 24
“Give Us Weapons!” 28
King Baudouin 29
A Convinced Federalist 31
Life Is a Big Mystery 34
Chapter II 35
Conviction and Responsibility 35
Promoting Innovative Ideas 37
Intellectual Roots 40
Leader of the Flemish Christian Democrats 41
“We Can Win Again!” 42
Respect for Life 43
Leo Tindemans 45
Pioneering Work with Lücker 47
Vision and Initiative 49
A European People’s Party 50
Christian Democratic Principles 52
Belgium or Europe? 53
Chapter III 55
In Charge of a Restless State 55
16, rue de la Loi 57
A Referee and a Seeker of Consensus 57
Deciding by Consensus 59
Unionist Federalism 60
Towards Institutional Adventurism? 61
A Global Concept 62
The Civil Rights of a Federal System 63
My Heart Is Almost Torn, Writing These Words 63
Give Me the Liberals Any Day 65
Devaluation 66
A Battle for the Future 70
No Turnaround 71
Guy Verhofstadt 72
The King Refuses to Sign 74
A Difficult Quest 76
With Beating Heart 77
Chapter IV 79
Small Country, Large Responsibilities 79
Rekindling the Cold War 79
Ethical Considerations 81
Local and Socialist Opposition 83
Visit to Washington 85
Allies … 87
The KGB Listens In 88
No More Waiting 89
Mobutu 90
Old Debts 91
Not a Friend 92
Lubumbashi 93
Rwanda 93
Bush Warriors 94
The Peace Mission to the Great Lakes 95
A Tragic President 97
Pilgrimage Through Africa 98
Chapter V 101
My Road Towards Maastricht 101
The Giscard–Schmidt Tandem 101
First Time in Maastricht 102
My First Presidency (1982) 103
Towards a Re-Launch 104
My Second Presidency (1987) 105
On a Pilgrimage for Europe 106
Ambitions for a Top Job 107
The Long Way to the Euro 108
The European Trio … 109
… Versus Mrs Thatcher 110
The Fall of the Wall 111
German Reunification 112
Towards a Political Union 114
Twice in Rome 115
A Role for the EPP 116
Among Christian Democrats 117
My Battle for Brussels 118
Mid-Term Review 120
Chapter VI 121
“O Hellenic Shore Where Our Fathers Dwell …” 121
Rekindling an Old Flame 122
My First Congress 122
Celtic Warriors 123
Deepening and Widening 124
Opting for Aznar 125
No Reservations 127
Stalwarts 129
Back to the Barricades 130
The Tories 131
A Party Matter 132
Fraktionsgemeinschaft: Yes or No 133
Strong Foundations 134
Hellenic Shore 136
Unity in Diversity 137
Defeat at Corfu 138
Chapter VII 141
The Fall of Santer 141
My Election as EPP Group Chair 142
The Santer Commission 143
“Neutral” Enlargements 145
Hostage in Porto 147
A Role for the Parliament and Another for the EPP 149
Our Italian Mainstay 151
Forza Italia After All 153
The “Cottage” Talks on the Rhine 154
A Clear Majority 156
Doubts About the Opposition 157
The Rift with Prodi 157
The Athens Group 159
François Bayrou and the EPP Council 159
The Leading Body Within Parliament 160
Dialogue with the Orthodox Churches 161
Elected Once Again 163
The Lost Battle for Santer 164
Prodi as New President of the Commission 165
Chapter VIII 167
A Cordon Sanitaire Around Austria 167
Friendship and Solitude 168
My Heritage 169
From Bad to Worse 171
Déjà-vu 172
Finally the French 173
Exit the EDU 175
A Cordon Sanitaire Around Austria 176
Keeping a Low Profile 177
An Example and a Pioneer 178
Disaster at Nice 179
Fireworks at the EPP Congress 180
Verständnis mit Schäuble 181
Brok’s Energetic Group 181
Constitutional Ambitions 182
Chapter IX 185
“He Did Not Take the Fruit of Those Who Had Planted the Tree …” 185
In the Driver’s Seat 186
Tête-à-tête in Lisbon 187
Right up to the Tarmac 187
Three-Cushion Billiards 188
Among Believers 189
A Changed Field of Influence 190
A Strong Position Confirmed 191
Primarily National Ambitions 192
The Hard Core 193
The Party of Continuity 195
Political Leadership 197
A Cultural Homeland 199
Chapter X 201
Pushing Forward in Europe and Beyond 201
The EUCD’s Final Role 201
The Hungarian Struggle 203
Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union 204
The Velvet Revolution 205
… and Velvet Separation 207
The Beginning of the End of Communism 208
Baltic Strength 210
The Mediterranean Island States 212
From a Social Democratic to a People’s Party 213
Hope for Change and the Rule of Law 216
To Be Right and to Be Proven Right 217
The Call of Bosnia 220
“Across the Country of the Illyrians” 221
The European Choice of the People 222
In Search of an Identity 224
The Breadbasket of Europe 225
The Caucasian Conundrum 227
Test Case Turkey 229
No Muslim Democrats 230
Together and With Us 230
Moving to the World Stage 232
Epilogue 235
Adam: Every Human Being and the Whole of Mankind 235
Against Ideological Temptations 237
Overcoming New Challenges 238
Fundamental Values 239
Freedom and Responsibility 240
Equality 240
Justice 240
Solidarity 240
Respect for the Created World 241
Subsidiarity 241
Democracy 241
Inter-religious and Cultural Understanding 242
An Appeal to Values 243
Bibliography 244