In this insightful interview conducted by Federico Ottavio Reho, Marianne Amssoms—longtime chief of staff to former EPP president and Belgian prime minister Wilfried Martens—offers a vivid portrait of the man who shaped the EPP into the dominant force of the European centre—right. Reflecting on Martens’s political instincts, inclusive leadership, and commitment to both vision and pragmatism, the conversation traces his strategy of simultaneous 'deepening and widening' of the party. From the delicate inclusion of Forza Italia to the smoother integration of Spain’s Partido Popular and Portugal’s PSD, Amssoms recalls how Martens balanced principles and compromise to steer the EPP through ideological tensions and political realignments. His legacy, grounded in values and sustained through personal diplomacy, continues to influence the party’s structure, alliances and sense of purpose in an evolving Europe.