Karel De Gucht
Encyclopedia
Karel Lodewijk Georgette Emmerence De Gucht (born 27 January 1954) is a Belgian
politician who has been the European Commissioner for Trade
since 2010. Previously, he was Belgium's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2009 and then European Commissioner for Development & Humanitarian Aid from 2009 to 2010.
De Gucht was also chairman of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats
(VLD), a Belgian political party, for a time. In January 2004 he was forced to step down as chairman and was temporarily replaced until after the elections of 4 June by Dirk Sterckx
. The reason for his resignation was a conflict between Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt
and him about a proposal to give non-citizen immigrants the right to vote in municipal elections, which De Gucht opposed. The conflict severely damaged the party's reputation, as reflected in the 2004 Belgian regional elections results.
during the general elections on 18 May 2003. He was a member of the Flemish Parliament
1999–2003 and a member of the European Parliament
1995–1999.
Although elected to the Flemish Parliament and European Parliament in the elections
of June 2004 he decided to take up neither seat and instead he was appointed the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs on 18 July 2004.
On a trip to Africa in late 2004, De Gucht sparked a diplomatic row when he said that "there is a problem with the political class in Congo" and questioned their ability to tackle corruption.
In June 2005, De Gucht caused a minor diplomatic spat with the Netherlands, when he referred to the Dutch
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende
as "a mix between Harry Potter and a rigid bourgeois without charisma" in an interview with the popular Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws
.
In December 2006, De Gucht condemned the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust
, organised in Iran
.
For 2006, De Gucht was the Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
.
In a 2007 interview with Flanders Info, he said the following about the Lisbon Treaty: "The aim of the Constitutional Treaty was to be more readable; the aim of this treaty is to be unreadable [...] The Constitution aimed to be clear, whereas this treaty had to be unclear. It is a success." (1)
In November 2008, while De Gucht was a minister in the federal government, he was accused of insider trading
in the case of the near-bankruptcy and subsequent nationalization and sale of Fortis Bank. On 3 October 2008, his wife, Mireille Schreurs, and brother-in-law sold their shares in Fortis Bank, after a governmental crisis meeting to deal with the precarious financial situation of the bank, and hours before the public announcement that the Dutch arm of the bank would be nationalized and the partly nationalized Belgian and Luxembourg branches sold to BNP Paribas
. An annonymous complaint was received by the Belgian Banking, Finance and Insurance Commission alleging De Gucht's wife sold €500,000 worth of Fortis shares. De Gucht acknowledges his wife and brother-in-law sold their mother's shares in Fortis Bank on the date in question for a smaller amount than alleged, but denies that any insider trading was involved. He also points out that he personally lost €85,000 as a result of the nationalization and sale, and that his son, Jean-Jacques De Gucht
, and mother kept their shares in the failing bank. The Ghent
public prosecutor ultimately decided not to pursue an investigation in the matter stating "there is nothing to indicate that Mr De Gucht encouraged his wife, brother-in-law or any third party to sell their Fortis shares quickly."
In 2009, he denounced statements by Pope Benedict XVI which claimed that condoms promoted AIDS, describing the remarks as "unacceptable" and adding that he could "not understand how an intelligent person can say something like that."
On 29 May 2009 he candidly classified his former party colleague Jean-Marie Dedecker
as a libertarian
opportunist in a TV interview on Flemish public television (De Keien van de Wetstraat).
He continued
The European Jewish Congress (EJC) expressed outrage, describing the remarks as antisemitic and demanding an apology and a retraction from De Gucht. De Gucht responded with the following statement:
De Gucht's remarks made it on the list of the Simon Wiesenthal Center
of the "2010 Top Ten Anti-Semitic Slurs"
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
politician who has been the European Commissioner for Trade
European Commissioner for Trade
The European Commissioner for Trade is the member of the European Commission responsible for the European Union's common commercial policy...
since 2010. Previously, he was Belgium's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2009 and then European Commissioner for Development & Humanitarian Aid from 2009 to 2010.
De Gucht was also chairman of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats
Flemish Liberals and Democrats
' , commonly known as Open VLD and also simply as the VLD, is a Flemish liberal political party in Belgium, created in 1992 from the former Party for Freedom and Progress and a few other politicians from other parties. The party led the government for three cabinets under Guy Verhofstadt from 1999...
(VLD), a Belgian political party, for a time. In January 2004 he was forced to step down as chairman and was temporarily replaced until after the elections of 4 June by Dirk Sterckx
Dirk Sterckx
Dirk Jozef Maria Sterckx , born on 25 September 1946 in Herent,is a Belgian politician andMember of the European Parliament for Flanderswith the Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten,...
. The reason for his resignation was a conflict between Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt is a Belgian politician who was the 47th Prime Minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. He is currently a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.- Early career :...
and him about a proposal to give non-citizen immigrants the right to vote in municipal elections, which De Gucht opposed. The conflict severely damaged the party's reputation, as reflected in the 2004 Belgian regional elections results.
Life and career
Born at Overmere, De Gucht was elected to the Federal ParliamentBelgian Federal Parliament
The Belgian Federal Parliament is a bicameral parliament. It consists of the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate . It sits in the Palace of the Nation .- Chamber of Representatives :...
during the general elections on 18 May 2003. He was a member of the Flemish Parliament
Flemish Parliament
The Flemish Parliament constitutes the legislative power in Flanders, for matters which fall within the competence of Flanders, both as a geographic region and a cultural community of Belgium The Flemish Parliament (Dutch: , and formerly called Flemish Council or Vlaamse Raad) constitutes the...
1999–2003 and a member of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
1995–1999.
Although elected to the Flemish Parliament and European Parliament in the elections
Belgian regional elections, 2004
On June 13, 2004, regional elections were held in Belgium, to choose representatives in the regional councils of the Flemish Parliament, the Walloon Parliament, the Brussels Parliament and the German-speaking Community of Belgium...
of June 2004 he decided to take up neither seat and instead he was appointed the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs on 18 July 2004.
On a trip to Africa in late 2004, De Gucht sparked a diplomatic row when he said that "there is a problem with the political class in Congo" and questioned their ability to tackle corruption.
In June 2005, De Gucht caused a minor diplomatic spat with the Netherlands, when he referred to the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Pieter "Jan Peter" Balkenende is a Dutch politician of the party Christian Democratic Appeal .He was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 14 October 2010, having led four coalition governments, cabinets Balkenende I, II, III and IV, none of which served a full...
as "a mix between Harry Potter and a rigid bourgeois without charisma" in an interview with the popular Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws
Het Laatste Nieuws
Het Laatste Nieuws is a Dutch language newspaper based in Brussels, Belgium. It was founded by Julius Hoste Sr. on 7 June 1888. It is now part of De Persgroep, and has a circulation of 292,410 copies, making it the most popular newspaper in Flanders and Belgium.- Comics :During World War II, The...
.
In December 2006, De Gucht condemned the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust
International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust
The International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust was a two-day conference that opened on December 11, 2006, in Tehran, Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the conference sought "neither to deny nor prove the Holocaust.....
, organised in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
For 2006, De Gucht was the Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
.
In a 2007 interview with Flanders Info, he said the following about the Lisbon Treaty: "The aim of the Constitutional Treaty was to be more readable; the aim of this treaty is to be unreadable [...] The Constitution aimed to be clear, whereas this treaty had to be unclear. It is a success." (1)
In November 2008, while De Gucht was a minister in the federal government, he was accused of insider trading
Insider trading
Insider trading is the trading of a corporation's stock or other securities by individuals with potential access to non-public information about the company...
in the case of the near-bankruptcy and subsequent nationalization and sale of Fortis Bank. On 3 October 2008, his wife, Mireille Schreurs, and brother-in-law sold their shares in Fortis Bank, after a governmental crisis meeting to deal with the precarious financial situation of the bank, and hours before the public announcement that the Dutch arm of the bank would be nationalized and the partly nationalized Belgian and Luxembourg branches sold to BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas S.A. is a global banking group, headquartered in Paris, with its second global headquarters in London. In October 2010 BNP Paribas was ranked by Bloomberg and Forbes as the largest bank and largest company in the world by assets with over $3.1 trillion. It was formed through the merger...
. An annonymous complaint was received by the Belgian Banking, Finance and Insurance Commission alleging De Gucht's wife sold €500,000 worth of Fortis shares. De Gucht acknowledges his wife and brother-in-law sold their mother's shares in Fortis Bank on the date in question for a smaller amount than alleged, but denies that any insider trading was involved. He also points out that he personally lost €85,000 as a result of the nationalization and sale, and that his son, Jean-Jacques De Gucht
Jean-Jacques De Gucht
Jean-Jacques De Gucht is a Flemish politician and member of Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats. He was elected to the Belgian Senate by the Dutch electoral college in the 2007 Belgian federal election, which took place on 10 June 2007....
, and mother kept their shares in the failing bank. The Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
public prosecutor ultimately decided not to pursue an investigation in the matter stating "there is nothing to indicate that Mr De Gucht encouraged his wife, brother-in-law or any third party to sell their Fortis shares quickly."
In 2009, he denounced statements by Pope Benedict XVI which claimed that condoms promoted AIDS, describing the remarks as "unacceptable" and adding that he could "not understand how an intelligent person can say something like that."
On 29 May 2009 he candidly classified his former party colleague Jean-Marie Dedecker
Jean-Marie Dedecker
Jean-Marie Louis Dedecker is a Belgian Flemish politician.In 1999 and 2003, Dedecker was directly elected to the Belgian Senate. In 2004 Dedecker ran for a seat in the Flemish Parliament, after taking his seat in the Flemish Parliament, Dedecker was elected by his colleagues as a community senator...
as a libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
opportunist in a TV interview on Flemish public television (De Keien van de Wetstraat).
Controversy
In an interview with the Belgian Flemish public radio VRT about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the September 2010 Washington talks, De Gucht expressed his scepticism about the process stating:"Do not underestimate the Jewish lobby on Capitol Hill. That is the best organised lobby, you shouldn't underestimate the grip it has on American politics – no matter whether it's Republicans or Democrats.
He continued
"Don't underestimate the opinion … of the average Jew outside Israel. There is indeed a belief – it's difficult to describe it otherwise – among most Jews that they are right. And a belief is something that's difficult to counter with rational arguments. And it's not so much whether these are religious Jews or not. Lay Jews also share the same belief that they are right. So it is not easy to have, even with moderate Jews, a rational discussion about what is actually happening in the Middle East."
The European Jewish Congress (EJC) expressed outrage, describing the remarks as antisemitic and demanding an apology and a retraction from De Gucht. De Gucht responded with the following statement:
"I gave an interview yesterday to the Flemish radio. I was also asked about the Middle East peace talks. I gave my personal point of view. I regret that the comments that I made have been interpreted in a sense that I did not intend. I did not mean in any possible way to cause offense or stigmatize the Jewish Community. I want to make clear that anti-Semitism has no place in today’s world and is fundamentally against our European values."
De Gucht's remarks made it on the list of the Simon Wiesenthal Center
Simon Wiesenthal Center
The Simon Wiesenthal Center , with headquarters in Los Angeles, California, was established in 1977 and named for Simon Wiesenthal, the Nazi hunter. According to its mission statement, it is "an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to repairing the world one step at a time...
of the "2010 Top Ten Anti-Semitic Slurs"
External links
- Karel De Gucht Official Media Gallery
- CV
- Official website
- Since February 2010 European Commissioner for Trade
- 2009–2010 European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid