In der Plenarsitzung des Europäischen Parlaments rechtfertigt der designierte Präsident der nächsten Europäischen Kommission Jacques Santer am 21. Juli 1994 seine Nominierung vor den europäischen Abgeordneten.

In this interview excerpt, Philippe de Schoutheete, Honorary Belgian Ambassador and economic attaché in Paris from 1958 to 1961, emphasises the sentiment of solidarity among the French authorities and the general public in the light of the Congo crisis that followed the independence of the Congo. He also refers to the lack of foresight within the administration of the Belgian Ministry of Colonies.

In this interview excerpt, Philippe de Schoutheete, Honorary Belgian Ambassador and economic attaché in Paris from 1958 to 1961, discusses Jean-Charles Snoy et d’Oppuers, a strong character who served as General Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs from the end of the Second World War to 1959 and in this capacity signed the Rome Treaties on behalf of Belgium.

In this interview excerpt, Philippe de Schoutheete, Honorary Belgian Ambassador, discusses various legendary figures in Belgian diplomacy in the 1950s: Hervé de Gruben and Louis Scheyven, former General Secretaries of the Foreign Ministry, and Jules Guillaume, Ambassador to Paris from 1944 to 1959.

In this interview excerpt, Philippe de Schoutheete, Honorary Belgian Ambassador, posted to Cairo to the Swiss Embassy then appointed chargé d’affaires responsible for sequestered Belgian assets and for restoring bilateral relations with Egypt from 1962 to 1965, particularly mentions his first meeting with Étienne Davignon and the memorable opening of the Aswan Dam.

In this interview excerpt, Philippe de Schoutheete, Honorary Belgian Ambassador, Director of the Press Office and Spokesman for the Belgian Foreign Ministry from 1966 to 1968, describes the personality and approach of Paul-Henri Spaak, Belgian Foreign Minister, and particularly his role in crafting the Luxembourg Compromise in January 1966 following the empty chair crisis triggered by France, as well as Spaak’s prior meeting with Maurice Couve de Murville, French Foreign Minister.

In this interview excerpt, Philippe de Schoutheete, Honorary Belgian Ambassador and Belgian Permanent Representative to the European Union from 1987 to 1997, explains the effects of the Luxembourg Compromise on Council practice, and particularly describes how for several years, although it was rarely invoked, the Council virtually never voted by a qualified majority. As time has gone on, this compromise has been somewhat forgotten, but it remains general practice to seek a consensus where possible.

In this interview excerpt, Philippe de Schoutheete, Honorary Belgian Ambassador, Director of the Press Office and Spokesman for the Belgian Foreign Ministry from 1966 to 1968, describes the initiatives taken by Pierre Harmel, Belgian Foreign Minister from 1966 to 1972, in the field of defence, firstly in a report to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on the ‘Future Tasks of the Alliance’ (December 1967) and secondly by proposing a revival of European integration through Western European Union (WEU) (1968).

Am 21. Juli 1994 gibt Klaus Kinkel, Bundesaußenminister und Präsident des Rates der Europäischen Union, in der Plenarsitzung des Parlaments in Straßburg eine Erklärung zur Ernennung Jacques Santers zum Präsidenten der nächsten Europäischen Kommission ab.

In this interview excerpt, Philippe de Schoutheete, Honorary Belgian Ambassador, Director of the Press Office and Spokesman for the Belgian Foreign Ministry from 1966 to 1968, describes the personality of Pierre Harmel, who succeeded Paul-Henri Spaak as Belgian Foreign Minister from 1966 to 1972, and that of Étienne Davignon, Head of the Private Office of the two ministers.