by
Martin Banks
He is expected to be rubberstamped as the official Lib Dem candidate at a conference in Brussels on Saturday.
Verhofstadt, a former Belgian PM, was also a candidate for Commission President in 2004 but Tony Blair, the former British PM, vetoed him.
The Belgian is noted for his comments about efforts to pull the UK out of the EU.
In recent years, he reportedly said, "If the British Government wants to make savings, it can join the euro.I am very sure there will come a time when Britain is a member of the Eurozone."
In 2012, he also reported to have said, "Europe must become an 'empire' in the good sense of the word."
His nomination comes despite another senior Liberal, Nick Clegg, the deputy PM of the UK, being told by Liberal Democrat MEPs that he is backing the "wrong man" to become next commission boss.
The battle for the nomination had been between Verhofstadt, who leads the 84-strong group of MEPs in the European Parliament, and Olli Rehn, the economics and monetary commissioner.
A decision will be made at a special congress to be held in Brussels on 1 February, three months before the European elections.
Clegg, the UK Liberal Democrat leader, recently announced that he was nominating Rehn, claiming that he was “the perfect man for the job”.
But his words have been challenged by some of his MEPs, who claim that they were not consulted before the announcement was made.
Chris Davies, a former leader of the British Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament, said that Clegg was not speaking on behalf of his party’s delegation in Brussels.
Davies said, “I’ve sounded out my colleagues and there is a clear majority in favour of Guy Verhofstadt.
“We know both men well, and like and respect each of them, butVerhofstadt has shown himself to be an inspirational leader.
“He is a man of vision, who does not shy away from seeking solutions to the wide-ranging problems we face in common. Many of us welcome his ideas for creating a more Liberal European Union.”
Martin Shulz,a German MEP, is the likely Socialist candidate while the EPP still have to decide on their nomination.
By: N. Peter Kramer
