In this interview excerpt, André Flahaut, an activist in the Socialist Party since 1973, Belgian Minister for National Defence from 1999 to 2007, President of the Chamber of Representatives from 2010 to 2014 and Minister for the Budget, the Civil Service and Administrative Simplification in the Government of the French Community since 2014, discusses his first encounter with European issues as a young socialist activist and as Adviser then Director at the Institut Émile Vandervelde from 1979 to 1995. He also emphasises the fact that Belgium is at the centre of Europe and that, as a founder member of the European Communities, it plays a driving role in European integration and in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

In this interview excerpt, André Flahaut, Belgian Minister for the Civil Service, the Modernisation of the Administration and the State Buildings Agency from 1995 to 1999, Minister for National Defence from 1999 to 2007 and President of the Chamber of Representatives from 2010 to 2014, explains why it is important for Belgium and Brussels to be the seat of European and international institutions. He also refers to the role played for Belgium by Herman Van Rompuy, President of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives from 2007 to 2008, Belgian Prime Minister from 2008 to 2009 and President of the European Council from 2010 to 2014.