Guy Verhofstadt

Started as a lawyer, as an advisor to Willy De Clercq, President of the PVV and Minister of Finance

1971-1975
Active member and subsequently President of the Union of Liberal Students of the University of Ghent (Liberaal Vlaams Studentenverbond, LVSV)

1976
Local Councillor

1977
Political Secretary to the President of the PVV, Willy De Clercq

1979 
President of the PVV-Jongeren (PVV Youth organisation)

1982
President of the PVV. At 29, he was the youngest party President in the Country.

1985-1988
Member of Parliament and subsequently Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Budget, Science Policy and Planning, in the Martens VI government

1989 
President of the PVV

1992-1995
Creation and presidency of the VLD (Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten - De partij van de burger (Flemish Liberals and Democrats - The people's party)

1996
Rapporteur to the Rwanda Commission set up by the Senate's Foreign Affairs Committee following the Rwandan genocide

1997
President of the VLD, for the second time

1999-2007
Prime Minister

2007 
Member of the European Parliament and President of the Alliance of Democrats and Liberals for Europe group.

2008
In order to recover from a government crisis, Guy Verhofstadt was appointed Prime Minister of an interim government prior to Yves Leterme forming a definitive government.