In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Minister for Economic Affairs from 1973 to 1974, from 1977 to 1982 and from 1988 to 1992, Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994 and Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) from 1994 to 1995, emphasises the important role played by the three Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) as forerunners of European integration, especially during the time of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).

In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Minister for Economic Affairs from 1973 to 1974, from 1977 to 1982 and from 1988 to 1992 and Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994, describes Belgium’s policy for the development of European integration between 1973 and 1992.

In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Minister for Economic Affairs from 1973 to 1974, from 1977 to 1982 and from 1988 to 1992 and Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994, describes the Belgian Government’s decision-making process on European policy between 1973 and 1992.

In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994, describes his role as Foreign Minister and the way he carried out his duties.

In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Minister for Economic Affairs from 1973 to 1974, from 1977 to 1982 and from 1988 to 1992 and Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994, describes the position of King Baudouin (King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993) on European integration, emphasising the fact that he was a committed European.

In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Minister for Economic Affairs from 1973 to 1974, from 1977 to 1982 and from 1988 to 1992, Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994 and Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) from 1994 to 1995, explains how important it is for Brussels to be the seat of international institutions, particularly the European institutions and especially from an economic point of view.

In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Minister for Economic Affairs from 1973 to 1974, from 1977 to 1982 and from 1988 to 1992 and Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994, shares his generally positive impression of the interest and level of understanding of Members of the Belgian Parliament with regard to European issues.

In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994, discusses the negative outcome of the Danish referendum on the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992 and the reaction from the other Member States of the European Communities, particularly the decision to introduce various derogations.

In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Minister for Economic Affairs from 1973 to 1974, from 1977 to 1982 and from 1988 to 1992, Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994 and Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) from 1994 to 1995, shares his impressions of the personality of Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990. Claes stresses the fact that, in his view, relations on European issues were more harmonious with non-British partners.

In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Minister for Economic Affairs from 1973 to 1974, from 1977 to 1982 and from 1988 to 1992 and Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994, explains how Belgium found itself in a difficult situation in the early 1990s: its high levels of debt threatened to prevent the country’s entry into Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), given that countries wishing to join EMU had to fulfil certain convergence criteria. Claes also notes that the impending ratification of the Treaty of Maastricht had a major influence on the Belgian political climate.