Haig was quite a towering figure with his big voice, intense glance and strong views. His passion for Napoleon and his military accomplishments was quite evocative. It’s ironical that he passed away on the bicentenary anniversary of the controversial general’s death. I obviously enjoyed challenging his opinions and I discovered that he enjoyed, like us, the pleasure of a good debate.
Haig was also an ode to life, the good life. It was a pleasure to see him enjoy eating, drinking, laughing and sharing. I keep fond memories of our stay at his place back in summer 2004, when I met him for the first time. There was one evening in particular where we had gone out for dinner at one of his favourite restaurants, held by a friend of his. As we arrived home after midnight, we started playing pool and he pulled out a bottle of Brandy. We made to bed in the early hours of the morning.
In recent, I enjoyed seeing him in Brussels when he visited Chris and Eirini. Much like in Athens, we had fun dinners and discussions. One of the last times I saw was at his home in 2017. It was our last evening in Athens before flying back to Brussels very early in the morning. I remember listening to opera arias and dancing with Diane.
Finally, Haig was a representative of his generation. An optimist and a positivist who had seen misery recede in the face of modernity. An engineer who was a strong believer in the promises of science. A self-contained man who was not always at ease with his emotions. Like my father, he was not so good as putting words on his emotions. I hope his example will help his sons become as good fathers as he was.