Editing Guy Verhofstadt (section)

===Verhofstadt II===
{{Main|Verhofstadt II Government}}
Following the [[2003 Belgian general election|2003 general elections]],<ref name=2003verkiezingsuitslag>{{cite web|url=http://www.robert-schuman.eu/en/eem/0197-the-socialists-and-liberals-in-power-win-the-belgian-general-elections|title=The socialists and liberals in power win the belgian{{sic |nolink=yes}} general elections&nbsp;... Results&nbsp;... Victory for the two main parties of the outgoing government: liberals and socialists|date=18 May 2013|author=Corinne Deloy|publisher=Robert Schuman Foundation|access-date=10 March 2017}}</ref> Verhofstadt formed his second cabinet without the green parties, who were virtually annihilated in the election. For various reasons, the formation of the second government was delayed well beyond normal: the economic situation worsened  to 1999 levels, both politically similar parties (liberals and socialists) gained approximately the same seats.

Guy Verhofstadt's second Government consisted of his liberal [[Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats|Open VLD]] their sister liberal [[Reformist Movement|MR]], the Flemish social democratic [[Socialistische Partij Anders|SP.a]] and their sister social democratic party [[Parti Socialiste (Belgium)|PS]] to form another [[Purple (government)|Purple coalition]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=APPENDIX A3 - European Social Survey |url=https://www.europeansocialsurvey.org/docs/round7/survey/ESS7_appendix_a3_e03_1.pdf |access-date=17 February 2023 |archive-date=17 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817112344/https://www.europeansocialsurvey.org/docs/round7/survey/ESS7_appendix_a3_e03_1.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Following international pressure over Belgium's [[War Crimes Law (Belgium)|War Crimes Law]], which asserted [[universal jurisdiction]], allowing anyone to bring [[war crime]] charges in Belgian courts, Verhofstadt's second government agreed to amend the law in favour of more limited jurisdiction. The law had faced criticism that it was encouraging politically motivated complaints.<ref>{{cite news |title=Belgium to Amend Controversial War Crimes Law |url=https://www.dw.com/en/belgium-to-amend-controversial-war-crimes-law/a-899778 |access-date=8 March 2021 |agency=DW |date=23 June 2003}}</ref>

In the [[Flanders|Flemish]] regional elections of 13 June 2004, his party lost votes, slipping into third place in [[Flanders]]. Though this has had no direct impact upon his position as prime minister, there were rumours that the [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|Christian Democratic and Flemish]] (CD&V) party that won the elections, would participate in federal government. Verhofstadt was suggested as a candidate to replace [[Romano Prodi]] as the next President of the [[European Commission]], but his candidacy was opposed and rejected by a coalition led by [[Tony Blair]] and other leaders who had disagreed with Verhofstadt's uncompromising criticisms of the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|Anglo-American invasion of Iraq the previous year]].<ref name="JS on GV">{{cite web|title=Blair's rebirth as a player in European politics not a done deal |author=   Jamie Smyth|date=6 October 2009|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/blair-s-rebirth-as-a-player-in-european-politics-not-a-done-deal-1.751560| newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|access-date=10 March 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Defense.gov News Photo 050608-F-7203T-130.jpg|thumb|Verhofstadt and U.S. Secretary of Defense [[Donald Rumsfeld]] in 2005]]
After this Verhofstadt was faced with a succession of internal crises. The first, coming to a head in the autumn of 2004, was the question whether [[DHL]] would invest in [[Brussels Airport]], located in the Flemish municipality of [[Zaventem]]. The question which nearly caused the collapse of the cabinet was whether to grant DHL extra landing rights during the night, this being a hot topic of public debate and various court cases.<ref name=DHLenZaventem2004>{{cite web|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3762378.stm|title=DHL scraps Brussels growth plan|date=21 October 2004|work=BBC News Channel|publisher=[[BBC]], London|access-date=10 March 2017}}</ref>   In the end the split between employment and night rest was for nought as DHL had only used the Zaventem option in order to get better conditions from [[Leipzig]].<ref name=DHLlautDWA>{{cite web|publisher=DW Akademie |title= Leipzig Hopes to Gain DHL Hub: Courier service DHL is expected to set up an intercontinental hub either in Vatry, France, or Leipzig, Germany. For the eastern German city, a lot is at stake.|date=22 October 2004|url=http://www.dw.com/en/leipzig-hopes-to-gain-dhl-hub/a-1368759|access-date=10 March 2017}}</ref>

Following the DHL crisis, Verhofstadt faced a crisis over the allocation of constitutional and administrative powers and responsibilities for the [[Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde]] district (commonly abbreviated as BHV). Division of the powers had been written into the government coalition agreement by the parties controlling the Flemish regional government. This triggered a veto from the Walloon parties.<ref name=BHVvolgensExPatica>{{cite web|title=BHV spat keeps PM from Moscow celebrations|publisher=Expatica newsletter|date=9 May 2005|url=http://www.expatica.com/be/news/BHV-spat-keeps-PM-from-Moscow-celebrations_129157.html|access-date=10 March 2017|archive-date=12 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312041515/http://www.expatica.com/be/news/BHV-spat-keeps-PM-from-Moscow-celebrations_129157.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=GHvolgensWB>{{cite web|url=https://www.trouw.nl/home/b-h-v-storm-waait-over-verhofstadt-blijft~abbfa4c2/|date=12 May 2005|title=B-H-V-storm waait over, Verhofstadt blijft|author= Wouter Bax|publisher=Persgroep Nederland B.V. (de Verdieping Trouw)|access-date=10 March 2017}}</ref> The crisis dragged on until spring 2005, when the matter was shelved till after the federal elections of 2007.<ref name=BHVvolgensBD>{{cite web|title=Verhofstadt overleeft 'BHV'-crisis|url=http://www.volkskrant.nl/buitenland/verhofstadt-overleeft-bhv-crisis~a669033/|date=12 May 2005|author=Bart Dirks|publisher=Persgroep Nederland B.V. (De Volkskrant)|access-date=10 March 2017}}</ref> By 2005, the Flemish parties participating in the government did not want the government to collapse, given their poor ratings in the opinion polls.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}

Verhofstadt voiced concern over the [[2006 Lebanon War]]. Verhofstadt said that [[Israel]] has the right to defend itself, but has now responded with excessive violence.<ref>''Journal télévisé'' (19h30), [[RTBF|La Une]], 14 July 2006</ref><ref name="hln.be-229542">{{in lang|nl}} [https://archive.today/20070930195418/http://www.hln.be/hlns/cache/det/art_229542.html Betoging in Brussel tegen Israëlisch militair optreden], Het Laatste Nieuws</ref>

On 13 December 2006, a regular programming on the Belgian national television channel ''[[La Une]]'' was interrupted for a news bulletin claiming that the [[Flemish parliament]] had issued a unilateral [[declaration of independence]] from the Kingdom of Belgium, mimicking the [[Belgian independence|Belgian secession from the Netherlands]] some 175 years earlier. The broadcast of the report led to widespread alarm and consternation in French-speaking Belgium and Verhofstadt condemned the report as "irresponsible".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/14/europe/EU_GEN_Belgium_Independence_Hoax.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312200412/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/14/europe/EU_GEN_Belgium_Independence_Hoax.php|title=Belgian viewers fall for TV hoax announcing breakaway state|archive-date=12 March 2007}}</ref> In the years coming to the hoax there was rising [[Flemish Movement|Flemish separatism]] and the [[Vlaams Belang]] party received strong support in the regional elections.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6178671.stm|title=Viewers fooled by 'Belgium split'|date=14 December 2006|via=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> The hoax almost became reality in 2007 after a [[2007–11 Belgian political crisis|major political crisis]] drove many to believe that the [[partition of Belgium]] was almost certain.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/certain-ideas-of-europe/2007/09/19/half-the-flemish-want-to-split-belgium|title=Half the Flemish want to split Belgium|date=19 September 2007|newspaper=The Economist}}</ref>

[[Constitutional Court of Belgium|The constitutional court of Belgium]] ruled that all elections held after 10 June 2007, would be constitutionally invalid because of the non-separation of [[Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde]]. In the autumn of 2005, Verhofstadt managed to score a success when he was able to negotiate a "Generation Pact" with regard to employment and social reforms, regardless of the opposition and actions of the unions.<ref>{{cite news |title=Praise, criticism from unions and employers |url=https://www.expatica.com/be/uncategorized/praise-criticism-from-unions-and-employers-81896/ |access-date=8 March 2021 |agency=Expatica |date=12 October 2005}}</ref>

Verhofstadt was sworn in as municipal councilor in Ghent in January 2007, as a result of the [[2006 Belgian municipal elections|2006 municipal elections]]. In the council, he is seated next to another cabinet minister, [[Freya Van den Bossche]], who was elected a municipal councillor as well. He even postponed a visit to the [[Russian President]] [[Vladimir Putin]] to be able to go to the first session of the newly elected council. {{citation needed|date=August 2014}}