Europe : I struggle, I overcome : memoirs / Wilfried Martens ; foreword by Angela Merkel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Martens, Wilfried.

Standardized Title:

Memoires. English

Language:

Dutch

English

Subjects (All):

Martens, Wilfried.

European People's Party.

Statesmen--Belgium--Biography.

Statesmen.

Ex-prime ministers.

Belgium.

Ex-prime ministers--Belgium--Biography.

Belgium--Politics and government--1951-1993.

Politics and government.

Genre:

Biographies.

Autobiographies.

Physical Description:

xv, 276 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Dordrecht ; New York : Springer : CES/Centre for European Studies, [2008]

Summary:

Wilfried Martens has devoted his entire life to politics: as student leader, youth activist, President of the Flemish Christian Democrats, Prime Minister of Belgium, President of European People's Party and European statesman. In his autobiography Martens offers the inside story on running a complex country like Belgium, fighting for European integration and unification, and transforming the European People's Party into a strong, united centre-right movement and leading European political family. Above all this is a book about the intricacies of European politics and its guiding ideas, values and principles.

Contents:

Chapter I Looking Back on My Life 5

The Nucleus of Everything 5

The Patience of Job 7

Children: The Happy Centre of Life 8

A Flemish Activist 9

The State of the Union 11

"Give Us Weapons!" 15

King Baudouin 16

A Convinced Federalist 18

Life Is a Big Mystery 21

Chapter II Conviction and Responsibility 23

A New Generation 24

Promoting Innovative Ideas 25

Intellectual Roots 28

Leader of the Flemish Christian Democrats 29

"We Can Win Again!" 30

Respect for Life 31

Leo Tindemans 33

Pioneering Work with Lücker 35

Vision and Initiative 37

A European People's Party 38

Christian Democratic Principles 40

Belgium or Europe? 41

Chapter III In Charge of a Restless State 43

16, rue de la Loi 45

A Referee and a Seeker of Consensus 45

Deciding by Consensus 47

Unionist Federalism 48

Towards Institutional Adventurism? 49

A Global Concept 50

The Civil Rights of a Federal System 51

My Heart Is Almost Torn, Writing These Words 51

Give Me the Liberals Any Day 53

Devaluation 54

A Battle for the Future 58

No Turnaround 59

Guy Verhofstadt 60

The King Refuses to Sign 62

A Difficult Quest 64

With Beating Heart 65

Chapter IV Small Country, Large Responsibilities 67

Rekindling the Cold War 67

Ethical Considerations 69

Local and Socialist Opposition 71

Visit to Washington 73

Allies 75

The KGB Listens In 76

No More Waiting 77

Mobutu 78

Old Debts 79

Not a Friend 80

Lubumbashi 81

Rwanda 81

Bush Warriors 82

The Peace Mission to the Great Lakes 83

A Tragic President 85

Pilgrimage Through Africa 86

Chapter V My Road Towards Maastricht 89

The Giscard-Schmidt Tandem 89

First Time in Maastricht 90

My First Presidency (1982) 91

Towards a Re-Launch 92

My Second Presidency (987) 93

On a Pilgrimage for Europe 94

Ambitions for a Top Job 95

The Long Way to the Euro 96

The European Trio 97

... Versus Mrs Thatcher 98

The Fall of the Wall 99

German Reunification 100

Towards a Political Union 102

Twice in Rome 103

A Role for the EPP 104

Among Christian Democrats 105

My Battle for Brussels 106

Mid-Term Review 108

Chapter VI "O Hellenic Shore Where Our Fathers Dwell ..." 109

Rekindling an Old Flame 110

My First Congress 110

Celtic Warriors 111

Deepening and Widening 112

Opting for Aznar 113

No Reservations 115

Stalwarts 117

Back to the Barricades 118

The Tories 119

A Party Matter 120

Fraktionsgemeinschaft: Yes or No 121

Strong Foundations 122

Hellenic Shore 124

Unity in Diversity 125

Defeat at Corfu 126

Chapter VII The Fall of Santer 129

My Election as EPP Group Chair 130

The Santer Commission 131

"Neutral" Enlargements 133

Hostage in Porto 135

A Role for the Parliament and Another for the EPP 137

Our Italian Mainstay 139

Forza Italia After All 141

The "Cottage" Talks on the Rhine 142

A Clear Majority 144

Doubts About the Opposition 145

The Rift with Prodi 145

The Athens Group 147

François Bayrou and the EPP Council 147

The Leading Body Within Parliament 148

Dialogue with the Orthodox Churches 149

Elected Once Again 151

The Lost Battle for Santer 152

Prodi as New President of the Commission 153

Chapter VIII A Cordon Sanitaire Around Austria 155

Friendship and Solitude 156

My Heritage 157

From Bad to Worse 159

Déjà-vu 160

Finally the French 161

Exit the EDU 163

A Cordon Sanitaire Around Austria 164

Keeping a Low Profile 165

An Example and a Pioneer 166

Disaster at Nice 167

Fireworks at the EPP Congress 168

Verständnis mit Sch&aumluble 169

Brok's Energetic Group 169

Constitutional Ambitions 170

Chapter IX "He Did Not Take the Fruit of Those Who Had Planted the Tree..." 173

In the Driver's Seat 174

Tête-à-tête in Lisbon 175

Right up to the Tarmac 175

Three-Cushion Billiards 176

Among Believers 177

A Changed Field of Influence 178

A Strong Position Confirmed 179

Primarily National Ambitions 180

The Hard Core 181

The Party of Continuity 183

Political Leadership 185

A Cultural Homeland 187

Chapter X Pushing Forward in Europe and Beyond 189

The EUCD's Final Role 189

The Hungarian Struggle 191

Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Union 192

The Velvet Revolution 193

... and Velvet Separation 195

The Beginning of the End of Communism 196

Baltic Strength 198

The Mediterranean Island States 200

From a Social Democratic to a People's Party 201

Hope for Change and the Rule of Law 204

To Be Right and to Be Proven Right 205

The Call of Bosnia 208

"Across the Country of the Illyrians" 209

The European Choice of the People 210

In Search of an Identity 212

The Breadbasket of Europe 213

The Caucasian Conundrum 215

Test Case Turkey 217

No Muslim Democrats 218

Together and With Us 218

Moving to the World Stage 220.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9783540892885

3540892885

OCLC:

269435381