SAVE THE DATE #MaastrichtDebate -- 29 April -- Which Vision for Europe post-Juncker?
Although I am known to produce more column inches and debates around ECOWAS and the *African Union*, few will know that I am someone who grew up in Brussels and watched European integration politics play out. I recommend one keep an eye out for #MaastrichtDebate. There are four candidates vying for the powerful *Presidency of the European Commission*. My number is for former Belgian premier *Guy Verhofstadt*, who has been keenly involved in Brexit negotiations; been an overt supporter of multilateralism using Europe's7 experience. In 2001, at an International Conference on Globalisation, he actually called for *regional representation* at the UN Security Council, including a seat for the AU. He was one of the *first European politicians* to do so. Interestingly, out of the four candidates to challenge the Commission presidency, only one is a Conservative, with the other three representing Liberal Democrats; Greens; Socialists. These largely Left-leaning candidates arguably reflec