Herman Van Rompuy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Count Van Rompuy
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Official portrait, 2012
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| President of the European Council | |
| In office 1 December 2009 – 30 November 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Fredrik Reinfeldt (non-permanent) |
| Succeeded by | Donald Tusk |
| Prime Minister of Belgium | |
| In office 30 December 2008 – 25 November 2009 |
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| Monarch | Albert II |
| Deputy | Didier Reynders |
| Preceded by | Yves Leterme |
| Succeeded by | Yves Leterme |
| President of the Chamber of Representatives | |
| In office 12 July 2007 – 30 December 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Herman De Croo |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Dewael |
| Minister of the Budget | |
| In office 5 September 1993 – 12 July 1999 |
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| Prime Minister | Jean-Luc Dehaene |
| Preceded by | Mieke Offeciers |
| Succeeded by | Johan Vande Lanotte |
| Member of the Chamber of Representatives | |
| In office 21 May 1995 – 1 December 2009 |
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| Constituency | Etterbeek |
| Senator | |
| In office 15 June 1988 – 21 May 1995 |
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| Constituency | Etterbeek |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Herman Achille Van Rompuy
31 October 1947 Etterbeek, Belgium |
| Political party | Christian Democratic and Flemish |
| Other political affiliations |
European People's Party |
| Spouse | Geertrui Windels |
| Children |
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| Residences | Sint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium |
| Alma mater | Catholic University of Leuven |
| Signature |  |
Herman Achille, Count Van Rompuy (born 31 October 1947) is a Belgian politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Belgium from 2008 to 2009. After that, he became the first permanent President of the European Council from 2009 to 2014.
He is a member of Belgium's Christian Democratic and Flemish party. The European Council chose him as its first full-time President. This group includes the leaders of all countries in the European Union (EU). He was re-elected for a second term, which ended in November 2014.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Herman Van Rompuy was born in Etterbeek, Brussels, Belgium. He went to Sint-Jan Berchmanscollege, where he studied Ancient Greek and Latin. Later, he studied at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Catholic University of Leuven). He earned a degree in Philosophy in 1968 and a master's degree in Applied Economics in 1971. He worked at the Belgian Central Bank for a few years.
He also taught at universities, sharing his knowledge of economics.
Family Life
Herman Van Rompuy is married to Geertrui Windels. They have four children: Peter, Laura, Elke, and Thomas. His oldest son, Peter, is also involved in politics with the Christian Democratic and Flemish party.
His younger brother, Eric Van Rompuy, is also a politician. His sister, Tine Van Rompuy, is a member of the Workers Party of Belgium.
Political Journey
Early Steps in Politics
Herman Van Rompuy started his political career as the head of the youth council for the Christian People's Party (CVP). He worked for government ministers and was elected to the Belgian Senate in 1988. He then became the national chairman of his party.
Budget Minister for Belgium
From 1993 to 1999, Van Rompuy was the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Budget. In this role, he worked to reduce Belgium's national debt. This means he helped the country owe less money.
Member of Parliament
After his time as Budget Minister, he became a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives. This is like being a member of parliament. He was re-elected several times. In 2004, he was given the special title of Minister of State.
Views on Turkey Joining the EU
Before becoming President of the European Council, Van Rompuy shared his thoughts on whether Turkey should join the EU. In 2004, he said that Turkey was not like other European countries. He felt that if a large Islamic country like Turkey joined, it might change the basic values of Europe.
However, once he became President, his views changed. He said that Turkey had made great progress in reforms. He also believed the EU should work closely with Turkey, even before they finish their membership talks.
Leading the Belgian Parliament
In 2007, after his party returned to power, Van Rompuy was chosen to be the President of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives. This meant he led the meetings and work of the Belgian parliament.
Prime Minister of Belgium
In December 2008, after a political crisis in Belgium, King Albert II asked Herman Van Rompuy to become the new Prime Minister. He took office on December 30, 2008.
As Prime Minister, he worked on the country's finances. He talked about taxing banks and nuclear power to help reduce the government's debt. He also spoke about the importance of keeping confidence in the economy during a recovery.
His government also had discussions with a company called GDF Suez about fees for nuclear power.
President of the European Council
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In November 2009, Herman Van Rompuy was chosen to be the first full-time President of the European Council. This was a new role created by the Treaty of Lisbon. He officially started on January 1, 2010.
Leaders like Gordon Brown praised him as someone who could bring people together and find solutions. Van Rompuy himself said he would listen to everyone's interests. He saw his role as a "facilitator," helping 27 country leaders find common ground.
Not everyone was happy with his appointment. Some critics made harsh comments about him. However, he continued his work.
In 2009, he spoke about "global governance," meaning countries working together on big world issues. He mentioned the G20 group of major economies and the climate conference in Copenhagen.
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In January 2010, he attended a major conference in London about the future of Afghanistan. He met with many world leaders there.
During his first years, a big challenge was the growing debt crisis in Greece. He worked to find agreements among EU countries to help stabilize the economy. This led to the creation of special funds to provide loans to countries in need, but with strict rules.
He also led a group to improve how EU countries manage their economies. This group suggested stronger cooperation and stricter rules for government spending.
In 2011, the Greek debt crisis got worse. Van Rompuy called special meetings to find solutions, including helping banks and reducing Greece's debt. He also helped coordinate Europe's response to international events, like the crisis in Libya.
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In March 2012, he was re-elected unanimously for a second term as President of the European Council. This term lasted until November 2014. He could not be re-elected again after this. He also became the first President of the Euro Summit, a meeting of leaders from countries using the Euro currency.
In 2014, he received the International Charlemagne Prize for his important work in the EU.
President's Team
The President of the European Council has a team of close advisors. Herman Van Rompuy chose Baron Frans van Daele as his chief of staff. His team also included experts from different countries, like Richard Corbett from the UK and Luuk van Middelaar, his main speech writer.
Later Career
After his time as President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy continued to be involved in European affairs. In 2019, he was appointed chairman of the board of the College of Europe, a famous university for European studies.
Other Activities
Herman Van Rompuy has been involved in various organizations:
- He was a board member of Dexia, a bank, before 2008.
- He is the President of the Centre International de Formation Européenne (CIFE).
- He is a member of the Club of Madrid, a group of former democratic presidents and prime ministers.
- He chairs the Strategic Council of the European Policy Centre.
- He is a member of the Trilateral Commission, a group that promotes cooperation among North America, Europe, and Asia.
Awards and Honors
Belgian Honors
- He was made a Count by the King of Belgium in 2015.
- He received the title of Minister of State in 2004.
- He has received the highest honors from the Order of Leopold, including the Grand Cordon.
International Honors
He has received many honors from other countries, including:
- Grand Cross of the National Order of Benin (Benin)
- Grand Officier of the Legion of Honour (France)
- Grand Officer of the National Order of the Ivory Coast (Ivory Coast)
- Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (Japan)
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands)
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania (Romania)
- Grand Officer of the Order of the White Double Cross (Slovakia)
- Order for Exceptional Merits (Slovenia)
Honorary Citizenships
He has been made an honorary citizen of several towns in Belgium and even in Matsuyama, Japan.
Honorary Degrees
He has received many honorary doctorates from universities around the world, including:
- Université catholique de Louvain (Belgium)
- Ghent University (Belgium)
- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium)
- Kobe University (Japan)
- Azerbaijan University of Languages (Azerbaijan)
- Vietnam National University, Hanoi (Vietnam)
- CEU San Pablo University (Spain)
- University of Abomey-Calavi (Benin)
- VU University Amsterdam (Netherlands)
- University of St Andrews (United Kingdom)
- University of Kent (United Kingdom)
Other Awards
- Charlemagne Prize (Germany, 2014)
- Benelux-Europa Prize (Netherlands, 2010)
- Harvard Club of Belgium Leadership Prize (2010)
- Collier du Mérite européen (Luxembourg, 2010)
- Nueva Economía Forum Prize (Spain, 2010)
- Golden medal of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (2012)
- Otto von der Gablentz Prize (Netherlands, 2012)
- European Prize Coudenhove-Kalergi (Austria, 2012)
- Michele de Gianni Award (2013)
- Golden Business Centre Club Statuette Award (Poland, 2014)
- ESMT Responsible Leadership Award (Germany, 2014)
- Comenius prize (Netherlands, 2016)
Images for kids
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Herman Van Rompuy's signature
