A short summary of the political career of the Convention Vice President.

Jean-Luc Dehaene was born in Montpellier, France on 7 August 1940. He gained his degrees in law and economics at the Universities of Namur and Leuven. He started his political career in 1967 with C.V.P. Jongeren. From 1971, he held the position of advisor to a number of Ministerial Cabinets, and then worked as a Head of Cabinet for several different Ministers. He first held a ministerial post in 1981. From 1988 to 1992, he then became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Traffic and Transport and Institutional Reform. Finally, as Prime Minister, he led two governments, viz., from 1992 to 1995, and subsequently from 1995 to July 1999.

He is seen as the architect of state reform. He led Belgium into the Euro economy and reorganised the government finances.

On the international level, he entered the footlights at the moment of election of a new president of the Commission. The UK was the only country to object his candidature because of his image to be a convinced federalist.

He is probably the most respected politician in Belgium, not only by his own Christian Democratic party but also by the government parties. This is why they gave him the opportunity to become vice-president of the Convention.
His main quality is probably also his main weakness. He is known to be an excellent and strong negotiator, who manages to put together impossible compromises. To achieve these compromises he hates to inform the media about any progress. ëNo commentsí is his favourite interview technique. As a pragmatic he only tackles one problem at the time but he always has a long-term objective that he wants to become true.