During the course of my political career- as CVP party leader, as Prime Minister of Belgium, and as EPP President - I have dedicated nearly 35 years of my life in the EPP. I was one of the co-founders of the party in 1976 and, since then, I’ve seen it grow into the largest political movement of Europe.

The EPP started as a federation of Christian Democratic parties and slowly but surely it enlarged (as the European Union did) into a united pan-European party. Today, Christian democratic, conservative, reform, and people’s parties from almost every European country now form the EPP; we are proud to be Europe’s centre-right political family.

I am particularly pleased that the EPP currently leads all the main EU institutions, and our leaders head 14 out of the 27 EU governments. But success also brings responsibility; in the current world recession, you the citizen, expect us to deliver concrete solutions to your problems. We will not let you down.

Wilfried Martens
EPP President, fmr Prime Minister of Belgium

Latest book: "Europe: I Struggle, I Overcome" (Foreword by Angela Merkel)

Wilfried Martens has devoted his entire life to politics: as student leader, youth activist, President of the Flemish Christian Democrats, Prime Minister of Belgium, President of the European People`s Party and European statesman.

In his autobiography Martens offers the inside story on running a complex country like Belgium, fighting for European integration and unification, and transforming the European People`s Party into a strong, united centre-right movement and leading European political family. Above all, this is a book about the intricacies of European politics and its guiding ideas, values and principles.

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