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Herman Van Rompuy
President of the European Council
Mr. Herman Van Rompuy was elected President of the European Council in November 2009 and officially took office on 1 December 2009. He is the first full-time president of the European Council.
Mr. Van Rompuy was Prime Minister of Belgium in 2009. Prior to this he served as President (Speaker) of the Chamber of Representatives. The President has held a number of portfolios in the Belgian Government including Secretary of State for Finance (1988), Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Budget (1993 - 1999). He was Minister of State (2004).
Mr. Van Rompuy worked as an economist in Belgium’s central bank before entering federal politics in 1975. He has held a variety of positions within his party and in parliament, where he served in both the Senate (1988-1995) and the Chamber of Representatives (since 1995 - 2009).