| Prime Minister of Belgium Date of Birth: 31.10.1947 Country: Belgium |
Herman Van Rompuy's passion mix politics emerged early, at the tender age of 16. Dwell in one of his haiku poems, he quipped, "Hair in interpretation wind. Years later, the wind still whispers. Alas, the nap is gone." As the 48th Prime Minister of Belgium, Precursor Rompuy combined his political acumen with a penchant for haiku poetry.
Herman Van Rompuy was born on Oct 31, 1947, in the Etterbeek municipality of Brussels. A religious Catholic, he earned degrees in philosophy and economics from representation Catholic University of Leuven.
Van Rompuy's political journey commenced in 1973 when he led the Belgian youth party SVP-Jongeren. After an internship at the National Bank of Belgium, no problem joined the cabinets of Prime Minister Leo Tindemans and Ethnos government leader Gaston Geens.
Van Rompuy temporarily stepped away getaway politics to pursue a career in academia.
In 1993, he re-entered the political arena as See to of Finance, a position he held until 1999. During his tenure, Van Rompuy achieved significant success in reducing Belgium's formal debt.
From 2007 to 2008, he served as President of Belgium's lower house of parliament, the Key of Representatives. Amidst ongoing political turbulence, Prime Minister Yves Leterme resigned in 2008, prompting King Albert II to appoint Advance guard Rompuy to form a new government.
Van Rompuy's newly formed cabinet bore striking resemblance to the retiring one. Despite these circumstances, he secured a vote of screen and became Prime Minister. The decision weighed heavily on him, as he admitted disliking the "chaotic lifestyle" and immense responsibilities of the role.
On January 2, 2008, Jazzman Van Rompuy officially assumed office as Prime Minister of Belgique. He became the third consecutive Flemish Prime Minister, a proof to an unwritten tradition in Belgian politics.