On April 27, 2025, Guy Verhofstadt was spotted at an intersection at Buiten Katelijnevest in Bruges. The Liberal politician ignored a red traffic light at 10:48 p.m. The prosecutor noted that the light had already been red for 29.6 seconds. On the other hand, the public prosecutor took into account the defendant’s clean criminal record.
No specific punishment was requested at the hearing of May 5. Verhofstadt risked at least a 240 euro fine and a driving ban of at least eight days.
The defense noted that Verhofstadt was barely driving 28 kilometers per hour. According to master Christine Mussche, her client did not cause too dangerous a situation. “He was probably just distracted and immediately admitted it,” he said. The defense pointed to the impeccable record of Verhofstadt, who, despite his age, had never appeared in court. That is why Master Mussche successfully pushed for a suspension of the sentence.
The police judge indeed pronounced the suspension on May 19. The verdict took into account, among other things, Verhofstadt’s clean criminal record. The police judge also pointed out the defendant’s important track record, including as a politician.
