Brussels, 30/01/2004 (Agence Europe) -25 MEPs strong during the last legislature of 1999, Belgium has lost a seat in the European elections in June 2004. Most of the political parties, French, Dutch and German speaking have still not formally approved their list but most of them have put the names of some of their candidates forward..
The Flemish Liberals (VLD) have formally presented four of their candidates. Heading the list is current Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt (51 ). Annemie Neyts (60 ) is also expected to occupy "a priority place ". Outgoing MEPs Dirk Sterckx (58 ) and Johan Van Hecke (50 ) are also certainly on the list. Among the French speakers, the Liberals of the MR are not ruling out rumours that Louis Michel (vice prime minister and foreign affairs minister, (56 ) and Antoine Duquesne, president of the MR will head the list.
French speaking socialists (PS), Elio di Rupo (63 ) is very likely to head the list together with European Commissioner Philippe Busquin as alternate. One of the outgoing MEPs - Olga Zrihen (51 ) and Véronique De Keyser (58 ) - will be in second and third place. The Brussels Secretary for State for Energy and Housing Alain Hutchison (54 ), is also expected to be on the list. Flemish Socialists are desperately looking for someone to head their list. Outgoing MEPs Anne Van Lankcer (former Convention Member and Saïd Elkhadraoui are expected to be on the list.
Joëlle Milquet, (43 ), president of the Centre démocrate Humaniste (CDH): French speaking Christian Democrats), is expected to be heading the list. "Joëlle Milquet intends to take her seat if she is elected" , her party has indicated. Former minister and judge, Melchior Wathelet will be standing as an alternate ("This will certainly be given some consideration ", he informed Belgian television). Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V) recognise that " Jean-Luc Dehaene's name keeps cropping up more often". German speaking Christian Democrat Mathieu Grosch (54 ) is expected to keep his seat.
The French-speaking Greens have announced that Pierre Jonckheer (53 years old), outgoing minister, will lead the list of French-speaking environmentalists, with the former Minister of Transport Isabelle Durant (50 years old) in second place, whilst José Darras, Walloon Minister of Transport, Mobility and Energy, will “undoubtedly be third”. MEP Bart Staes (45 years old) will lead the list of Flemish environmentalists (Groen!), Tiene Vande Straete will be second, and Isabelle Vertriest will be deputy. Finally, the Flemish group Spirit have not yet announced any names whilst the Vlaams Blok have confirmed Frank Vanhecke (44 years old) as being at the top of the list.
The French-speaking socialist Jean-Maurice Dehousse and the Flemish liberal Willi De Clercq are not standing.