Quickly climbing the party ranks, he became responsible for the party's press and media communication in 1986 and worked from 1989 as a personal assistant to Karel Dillen in the European Parliament, until he was elected to a Parliamentary seat himself in 1994.
Han klättrade snabbt inom partiet, blev dess press- och medieansvarig 1986 och arbetade från 1989 som assistent åt Karel Dillen i Europaparlamentet, till dess att han själv valdes in i samma parlament 1994.