Willy De Clercq

Who was Willy De Clercq?

Willy Clarisse Elvire Hector, Viscount De Clercq was a Belgian liberal politician.

De Clercq was born in Ghent. After his law and notariat studies at the University of Ghent and a scholarship at Syracuse University, De Clerq became a lawyer at the Court of appeal in Ghent and a professor at Ghent University and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Although he could have had a successful career in law, he got into politics. He was member of the Liberal youth and was elected municipal councillor and member of parliament.

De Clercq served in various coalition governments. He was secretary of state for the budget, deputy prime minister and minister of the budget from 1966 to 1968, deputy prime minister and minister of Finances in 1973–1974, minister of Finances in 1974–1977 and deputy prime minister in 1980.

De Clercq served as president of various international monetary instances and as president of the then liberal party PVV. He served for a term as a member of the European Commission. Moreover he became Minister of State in 1985. From 1989 to 2004 he was a member of the European Parliament.

In 2003, he created together with other prominent European personalities the Medbridge Strategy Center, whose goal is to promote dialogue and mutual understanding between Europe and the Middle-East.