1). How do you look at your 12 years as President of EHF?

It has been a marvellous time for me. The work has given me a solid insight into the workings both of the European Union and many of our humanist organisations in Europe. I am proud that we have constructed a network enabling us to follow cases as they develop, enabling us to influence matters early.

I have had the pleasure of working with good and engaged colleagues in the EHF board. Especially I want to mention Claude Wachtelaer and Georges Lienard. They have worked tirelessly in their positions as general secretary of the Federation, and the successes we have had are very much due to their commitment.

EHF has developed into a good and efficient organisation since it was founded in 1992, and I am happy to have done my part in making it so.

2). What do you see as the EHF's priorities for the coming years?

EHF should help sister organisations, especially those that have small memberships and even smaller economies - these are mainly in Eastern Europe.

Politically we should work with all European institutions, also those that encompass European countries outside the European Union.

The EU itself is perhaps the most important working area. What happens there also has influence outside the union. The fact that we now managed to get to the top of the EU and met president Barroso on November 9, 2005, is very important. I think he caught on to the message that the EHF is the only organisation on a European level that speaks for the secular part of the citizens of Europe. If we can keep on to that, our influence should be good.

The main problem of EHF is economy. If it had not been for the large contributions that our two Belgian organisations, Centre Action de Laique and Unie Vrijzinnige Verenigingen give, we would hardly have had any working capacity at all. I especially want to thank them for that and I am also very grateful for the payment from Ligue Franà§aise de l'Enseignement, which supports the EHF with the maximum fee.

Other humanist organisations with a good economy could certainly contribute more to EHF, and I hope this will happen in the future. We cannot expect to have non-paid general secretaries for ever! We have work enough for ten or twenty people for that matter, and we have to do with two employees. Strengthening the economy of EHF is the most important task we have ahead of us.

3). How do you see IHEU-EHF cooperation in the future?

There are plenty of tasks for both organisations. The important thing is to coordinate work and events in Europe. We have made some steps in that direction, but it could be better. I hope that the new leadership in EHF can sit down and discuss matters with the IHEU president, as Roy Brown and I have done. A practical matter such as comparing calendars to ensure that we do not have overlapping events is one thing, but the most important matter is to coordinate policy and ensure that we present the same image to the public.

Possibly we could also discuss economy. IHEU is not a rich organisation, I know that from my six years in the IHEU board, but compared to EHF, IHEU is much better off. Perhaps we could also find joint programmes for getting financial support. EHF has acquired quite an expertise in how to apply for financial support from EU. Here we could give valuable assistance to both IHEU and national humanist organisations.

4). What role do you plan to play in International Humanism after stepping down as President of EHF?

There are still congresses and seminars. It probably will not surprise anyone if I pop up at some events. Paraphrasing our famous British member, Terry Pratchett: "I am still not dead." I expect that I will be engaged in humanism until I am, but probably not later!