Karel De Gucht
| Karel De Gucht link C-SPAN IMDB Website | |
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| Born | 1954-01-27 Overmere, Belgium |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Alma mater | Free University of Brussels |
Criminal charge | insider trading |
| Children | Frédéric De Gucht, Jean-Jacques De Gucht |
| Spouse | Mireille Schreurs |
| Interests | Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership |
| Party | Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats |
Belgian EU-politician and 3 time Bilderberger. As European Commissioner prepared negotiations with the United States for the secretive supranational Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which would "provide an economic equivalent to Nato" and settle the rules of world trade. | |
Karel Lodewijk Georgette Emmerence De Gucht is Belgian EU-politician and a 3 time Bilderberger. As European Commissioner he prepared and launched free trade negotiations with the United States, the secretive supranational Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which according to the US ambassador to the EU would "provide an economic equivalent to Nato" that would settle "the rules of world trade before others do it for us"[1].
Education
De Gucht is the son of a farmer from Overmere. He graduated from the Royal Athenaeum of Aalst (province of East Flanders) in 1971, then his law degree at the Free University of Brussels in 1976.
Career
He quickly became politically involved, in parallel with a career as a lawyer. He was a member of the European Parliament from 1980 to 1994, of the Belgian Senate from 1994 to 1995, and of the Flemish Community Parliament from 1995 to 2003. He was elected to the Belgian House of Representatives in the 2003 parliamentary elections and became Minister of Foreign Affairs on 18 July 2004, first under Head of Government Guy Verhofstadt and since 2008 under Yves Leterme and Herman Van Rompuy. With the change to the EU Commission, he has given up the post of Foreign Minister. His successor was Yves Leterme.
In July 2009 De Gucht was appointed as the Belgian European Commissioner, where he became Commissioner for Development, then Commissioner for Trade 2010-2014.
Supranational policies
As European Commissioner he prepared and launched free trade negotiations with the United States, the supranational Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership,[2] which according to the US ambassador to the EU would "provide an economic equivalent to Nato" that would settle "the rules of world trade before others do it for us"[3].
In October 2014 he concluded CETA, a free trade agreement with Canada.[4] The Canadian agreement would establish a Investment Court System (ICS), special jurisdiction to be used by multinational companies to challenge health and environmental legislation unfavorable to their interests.[5]
He also played a key role in the conclusion of an Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine, which played a direct part in the 2014 color revolution.[6]
In 2025 he supported the creation of a European military bloc to "become a serious player"[7]
Family
He is the father of Frédéric De Gucht, a commercial engineer and politician from Brussels and Jean-Jacques De Gucht, a Flemish MP and senator.
References
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/aug/03/ttip-what-why-angry-transatlantic-trade-investment-partnership-guide
- ↑ https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/SPEECH_14_52
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/aug/03/ttip-what-why-angry-transatlantic-trade-investment-partnership-guide
- ↑ https://www.lemonde.fr/en/les-decodeurs/article/2024/03/21/all-you-need-to-know-about-ceta-the-controversial-eu-canada-trade-agreement_6639822_8.html
- ↑ https://www.lemonde.fr/en/les-decodeurs/article/2024/03/21/all-you-need-to-know-about-ceta-the-controversial-eu-canada-trade-agreement_6639822_8.html
- ↑ https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/STATEMENT_14_35
- ↑ https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20250215_97084285