Umrl je velik prijatelj Nove Slovenije, oče EPP Wilfried Martens

V starosti 77 let je umrl dolgoletni predsednik Evropske
ljudske stranke in njen soustanovitelj Wilfried Martens. Wilfried Martens je bil
predsednik belgijske vlade več kot 12 let, med aprilom 1979 in marcem 1992.
Vodil je devet belgijskih vlad. Po koncu svojega mandata kot predsednik vlade
je leta 1992 postal in ostal predsednik Evropske ljudske stranke vse do danes. Wilfried
Martens je bil velik prijatelj Nove Slovenije. Pogrešali ga bomo!

Wilfried Martens je bil rojen 19. aprila 1936 v mestu Sleidinge, severno od
Genta v Belgiji, v kmečki družini. Bil je najstarejši od sedmih fantov. Šolanje
v srednji šoli in v univerzi je opravil z odlikami in bil prejemnik državnih
štipendij. Martens je bil doktor pravnih znanosti, imel diplomi iz notarskih
študij in Thomistic filozofije. Politično znanost pa je študiral na Univerzi v
Harvardu. Že v študentskih letih je bil kot predsednik aktiven v društvu
flamskih študentov (VVS) in v Združenju katoliških študentov (KVHV). Čas
njegovega predsedovanja vladi je bil čas gospodarske krize v 80-ih letih
prejšnjega stoletja in čas državnih reform, ki so tlakovale pot v sedanjo
federalno ureditvijo Belgije. Po mandatu predsednika vlade je bil leta 1994 izvoljen
za poslanca v Evropski parlament in je bil tudi vodja politične skupine ELS v
Evropskem parlamentu. Njegove dolgoletne politične izkušnje so prišle še kako
prav v decembru 2008, saj je odločilneje pripomogel k končanju belgijske
politične krize.

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Wilfried Martens, long-time president and co-founder of the European People’s Party (the EPP), passed away last night at the age of 77. Wilfried Martens was Prime Minister of the Belgian government for over 12 years, between April 1979 and March 1992. He led nine consecutive Belgian government cabinets. After he had finished his term of office as prime minister in 1992, he became president of the European People’s Party and remained in office until the day he died. Wilfried Martens was a great friend of New Slovenia as well. We will miss him so much!

Wilfried Martens was born to a farming family on April 19, 1936, in the town of Sleidinge, to the north of Gent, Belgium. He was the eldest of seven sons. He passed both secondary school and university studies with distinction and was awarded state scholarship grants. Martens achieved a PhD in law, had a degree in notary studies and Thomistic philosophy. He studied political science at the Harvard University. Already in his student age, he was politically active as president of Flemish students’ association (VVS) and within the Catholic students’ society (KVHV).
 
The era of his Belgian premiership was a time of 1980s’ economic crisis and state reforms that paved the way towards the contemporary federate arrangement of the Belgian state. After his tenure of the office of Prime Minister, he was elected to the European Parliament in 1994 and became head of the EPP parliamentary group there. His long years of political experience were of great value in December 2008 when he had a decisive impact on the resolution of Belgian political crisis of the time.

Among numerous national and international awards and acknowledgements, the Charles V Award, which he received in 1998 for his contribution to the European Union, is worth mentioning.