Europe: I Struggle, I Overcome -- Foreword -- Acknowledgements -- Table of Contents -- Prologue -- Luctor et emergo -- Chapter I -- Looking Back on My Life -- The Nucleus of Everything -- The Patience of Job -- Children: The Happy Centre of Life -- A Flemish Activist -- The State of the Union -- "Give Us Weapons!" -- King Baudouin -- A Convinced Federalist -- Life Is a Big Mystery -- Chapter II -- Conviction and Responsibility -- Promoting Innovative Ideas -- Intellectual Roots -- Leader of the Flemish Christian Democrats -- "We Can Win Again!" -- Respect for Life -- Leo Tindemans -- Pioneering Work with Lücker -- Vision and Initiative -- A European People's Party -- Christian Democratic Principles -- Belgium or Europe? -- Chapter III -- In Charge of a Restless State -- 16, rue de la Loi -- A Referee and a Seeker of Consensus -- Deciding by Consensus -- Unionist Federalism -- Towards Institutional Adventurism? -- A Global Concept -- The Civil Rights of a Federal System -- My Heart Is Almost Torn, Writing These Words -- Give Me the Liberals Any Day -- Devaluation -- A Battle for the Future -- No Turnaround -- Guy Verhofstadt -- The King Refuses to Sign -- A Difficult Quest -- With Beating Heart -- Chapter IV -- Small Country, Large Responsibilities -- Rekindling the Cold War -- Ethical Considerations -- Local and Socialist Opposition -- Visit to Washington -- Allies … -- The KGB Listens In -- No More Waiting -- Mobutu -- Old Debts -- Not a Friend -- Lubumbashi -- Rwanda -- Bush Warriors -- The Peace Mission to the Great Lakes -- A Tragic President -- Pilgrimage Through Africa -- Chapter V -- My Road Towards Maastricht -- The Giscard-Schmidt Tandem -- First Time in Maastricht -- My First Presidency (1982) -- Towards a Re-Launch -- My Second Presidency (1987) -- On a Pilgrimage for Europe -- Ambitions for a Top Job -- The Long Way to the Euro.

The European Trio … -- … Versus Mrs Thatcher -- The Fall of the Wall -- German Reunification -- Towards a Political Union -- Twice in Rome -- A Role for the EPP -- Among Christian Democrats -- My Battle for Brussels -- Mid-Term Review -- Chapter VI -- "O Hellenic Shore Where Our Fathers Dwell …" -- Rekindling an Old Flame -- My First Congress -- Celtic Warriors -- Deepening and Widening -- Opting for Aznar -- No Reservations -- Stalwarts -- Back to the Barricades -- The Tories -- A Party Matter -- Fraktionsgemeinschaft: Yes or No -- Strong Foundations -- Hellenic Shore -- Unity in Diversity -- Defeat at Corfu -- Chapter VII -- The Fall of Santer -- My Election as EPP Group Chair -- The Santer Commission -- "Neutral" Enlargements -- Hostage in Porto -- A Role for the Parliament and Another for the EPP -- Our Italian Mainstay -- Forza Italia After All -- The "Cottage" Talks on the Rhine -- A Clear Majority -- Doubts About the Opposition -- The Rift with Prodi -- The Athens Group -- François Bayrou and the EPP Council -- The Leading Body Within Parliament -- Dialogue with the Orthodox Churches -- Elected Once Again -- The Lost Battle for Santer -- Prodi as New President of the Commission -- Chapter VIII -- A Cordon Sanitaire Around Austria -- Friendship and Solitude -- My Heritage -- From Bad to Worse -- Déjà-vu -- Finally the French -- Exit the EDU -- A Cordon Sanitaire Around Austria -- Keeping a Low Profile -- An Example and a Pioneer -- Disaster at Nice -- Fireworks at the EPP Congress -- Verständnis mit Schäuble -- Brok's Energetic Group -- Constitutional Ambitions -- Chapter IX -- "He Did Not Take the Fruit of Those Who Had Planted the Tree …" -- In the Driver's Seat -- Tête-à-tête in Lisbon -- Right up to the Tarmac -- Three-Cushion Billiards -- Among Believers -- A Changed Field of Influence -- A Strong Position Confirmed.

Primarily National Ambitions -- The Hard Core -- The Party of Continuity -- Political Leadership -- A Cultural Homeland -- Chapter X -- Pushing Forward in Europe and Beyond -- The EUCD's Final Role -- The Hungarian Struggle -- Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Union -- The Velvet Revolution -- … and Velvet Separation -- The Beginning of the End of Communism -- Baltic Strength -- The Mediterranean Island States -- From a Social Democratic to a People's Party -- Hope for Change and the Rule of Law -- To Be Right and to Be Proven Right -- The Call of Bosnia -- "Across the Country of the Illyrians" -- The European Choice of the People -- In Search of an Identity -- The Breadbasket of Europe -- The Caucasian Conundrum -- Test Case Turkey -- No Muslim Democrats -- Together and With Us -- Moving to the World Stage -- Epilogue -- Adam: Every Human Being and the Whole of Mankind -- Against Ideological Temptations -- Overcoming New Challenges -- Fundamental Values -- Freedom and Responsibility -- Equality -- Justice -- Solidarity -- Respect for the Created World -- Subsidiarity -- Democracy -- Inter-religious and Cultural Understanding -- An Appeal to Values -- Bibliography.