Socialist veteran Elio Di Rupo has an unusual CV. He was an MEP back in 1989; he then held many high-level jobs in Belgium, including that of prime minister from 2011 to 2014, before returning to the European Parliament in this new five-year mandate. We ask him how the role of an MEP has changed since his first stint at the European Parliament, and what his priorities are for this next term. We also touch on the latest migrant-related tensions in the EU and the political and economic challenges in Belgium, which, like France, is under surveillance from the European Commission over its public debt.
Asked why he decided to stand for the European Parliament after holding top jobs nationally, including prime minister of Belgium and minister-president of Wallonia, Di Rupo responds: "Because now the European Parliament has a very crucial role; a role of co-decision [with the EU Council]. It's also the place where MEPs represent the European population. And we need a place where people can speak not only about politics, but about the reality of the lives of our population. In Europe, there is a lot of poverty and a lot of problems. Sometimes one has the impression that the European institutions are far away from that reality."
