Biography of Herman Van Rompuy

This page provides information on Herman Van Rompuy, the former President of the European Council in office from November 2009 to November 2014.
Content has not been updated since 1 December 2014.

Elected as the first full-time President of the European Council in November 2009, Herman Van Rompuy took office when the Lisbon Treaty came into force on 1 December 2009.

In 2012, he was re-elected for a second term starting on 1 June 2012 and running until 30 November 2014.

At the time of his first election, Herman Van Rompuy was Prime Minister of Belgium. Prior to that he had served in Belgium as Speaker of the House of Representatives (2007-2008) and in several government positions, including as Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Budget (1993-1999), Minister of State (2004) and Secretary of State for Finance and Small Businesses (1988).

A former economist at the National Bank of Belgium, Herman Van Rompuy began his political career in 1973 as national vice-president of his party's youth movement. He has held various responsibilities within his party and in the Belgian Parliament, serving in turn as Senator (1988-1995) and Member of Parliament (1995-2009).

Herman Van Rompuy holds a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy, and a Master's degree in Applied Economics from the university K.U. Leuven. He was born in Etterbeek, Belgium, on 31 October 1947, and is married to Geertrui Windels; they have 4 children and 6 grandchildren.

Herman Van Rompuy, former President of the European Council

Political career

2009-2014
President of the European Council

2008-2009
Prime Minister

Oct. 2007
Royal Conciliator

Sep. 2007
Royal Explorer

2007-2008
Speaker of the House of Representatives

Jan. 2004
Minister of State

1995-2009
CD&V MP in the House of Representatives

1993-1999
Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Budget

1988-1993
C.V.P.-party National President

May 1988-Sept. 1988
Secretary of State of Finance and Small Businesses

1988-1995
C.V.P.-senator

1980-1995
C.V.P.-negotiator for the government formation Martens-III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII and Dehaene I, II

1978-2009
Member of the board of the National C.V.P.

1973-1977
National vice-president C.V.P.-Jongeren

Career history

2015
Lecturer Vlaamse Economische Hogeschool Brussel (VLEKHO)

1982-2008
Lecturer Vlaamse Economische Hogeschool Brussel (VLEKHO)

1980-1988
Director Centrum voor Politieke, Economische en Sociale Studies

1980-1987
Lecturer Handelshogeschool Antwerpen

1978-1980
Adviser Cabinet Minister of Finance G. Geens

1975-1978
Adviser Cabinet Prime Minister L. Tindemans

1972-1975
Attaché Internal Affairs National Bank of Belgium

Education

1971
Master's in Economics, K.U.Leuven

1968
Bachelor's degree in Philosophy, K.U.Leuven

1965
Greek-Latin humanities, Sint-Jan Berchmanscollege, Brussels

Books

"Europe in the storm", book published by Davidsfonds, 126 p. (May 2014)
"De kentering der tijden", book published by Lannoo, 112 p. (1979)
"Hopen na 1984", book published by Davidsfonds, Horizonreeks (September 1984)
"Het christendom. Een moderne gedachte", book published by Davidsfonds, Forumreeks (September 1990)
"Vernieuwing in hoofd en hart. Een tegendraadse visie", book published by Davidsfonds, Forumreeks (Autumn 1998)
"De binnenkant op een kier. Avonden zonder politiek", book published by Lannoo, 165 p. (2000)
"Dagboek van een vijftiger", book published by Davidsfonds, 144 p. (October 2004)
"Haiku", Poëziecentrum, Gent, 125 p. (April 2010)
"In de wereld van Herman Van Rompuy", with Katleen Cools, Borgerhoff&Lamberigts, 200 p. (October 2010)
"Haiku 2", Poëziecentrum, Gent, 93 p. (October 2013)

Honorary Doctorates

University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin (21 February 2014)
Universidad C.E.U. San Pablo in Madrid (13 December 2013)
Hanoi National University (1 November 2012)
University of Foreign Languages of Baku (5 July 2012)
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (1 June 2012)
University of Ghent (18 March 2011)
Kobe University Brussels European Centre (4 March 2011)

Awards

Nobel Prize of Peace received on behalf of the European Union, Oslo
International Charlemagne Prize (Internationale Karlspreis), Aachen (29 May 2014)
Benelux-Europa Prize, Breda (12 June 2010)
Harvard Club of Belgium Leadership Prize, Brussels (8 September 2010)
"Collier du Mérite européen" awarded by the European Merit Foundation, Luxembourg (25 November 2010)
Nueva Economía Forum Prize, Madrid (10 December 2010)
"Gouden Penning" awarded by the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts, Brussels, (14 January 2012)
Honorary senator E Meritu et Honoris Causa of the Movement for a United States of Europe - Action Centre for European federalism (AEF - BVSE), Antwerp (5 February 2012)
Otto von der Gablentz Prize, The Hague (18 April 2012)
European Prize Coudenhove-Kalergi 2012, Vienna (16 November 2012)
Michele de Gianni Award, Brussels (4 October 2013)
Golden Business Centre Club Statuette Award, awarded at the Grand Gala of Polish Business Leaders, Warsaw (25 January 2014)
ESMT Responsible Leadership Award, awarded by the European School of Management and Technology, Berlin, (3 July 2014)

Distinctions

Grand Ribbon holder of the Order of Leopold, Belgium (2009)
Grand Officer in the Order of the Legion of Honour, France (December 2011)
Honorary Citizenship, Beersel, De Haan, Olen, Kortessem, Belgium and Matsuyama, Japan
Grand Officier de l'Ordre National de Cote d'Ivoire (7 August 2012)
National order "Star of Romania" in the rank of the Grand Cross, Bucharest (25 April 2013)
Ordre National du Benin, Cotonou (20 February 2014)
Order of the White Double Cross of Second Class, Bratislava (30 April 2014)