Willy Claes

Willy Claes
Claes in 2008
8th Secretary General of NATO
In office
17 October 1994 – 20 October 1995
Preceded byManfred Wörner
Sergio Balanzino (acting)
Succeeded bySergio Balanzino (acting)
Javier Solana
President of the Party of European Socialists
In office
November 1992 – October 1994
Preceded byGuy Spitaels
Succeeded byRudolf Scharping
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
7 March 1992 – 10 October 1994
Prime MinisterJean-Luc Dehaene
Preceded byMark Eyskens
Succeeded byFrank Vandenbroucke
Personal details
Born (1938-11-24) 24 November 1938 (age 85)
Hasselt, Belgium
Political partyDifferent Socialist Party
SpouseSuzanne Meynen
Children2
Alma materVrije Universiteit Brussel

Willem Werner Hubert "Willy" Claes[1] (Dutch: [ˈʋɪli ˈklaːs]; born 24 November 1938) is a Belgian politician who served as the eighth Secretary General of NATO, from 1994 to 1995. Claes was forced to resign from his NATO position after he was found guilty of corruption, which was uncovered during the investigation into André Cools' death. Claes was a member of the Flemish Socialist Party.

Claes was born in Hasselt, Belgium. He graduated in political and diplomatic sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).

  1. ^ Decan, Rik, Wie is wie in Vlaanderen 2000–2002, Brussel: BRD, 1999.