Herman Van Rompuy

He was born on October 31, 1947, in Etterbeek, Flanders. He served as vice president of the CVP youth from 1973 to 1975 and was elected to the Political Bureau of the CVP from 1978. From 1975 to 1980, he worked in the ministerial offices of Leo Tindemans and Gaston Geens. Between 1988 and 1993, he was the president of the CVP and later became Deputy Minister and Minister of Finance from September 1993 to July 1999. Following his party's defeat in the 1999 general elections, he became a member of the House of Representatives. In 2004, he was appointed Minister of the Presidency. On July 12, 2007, he was elected President of the House of Representatives, a position he held until 2008. On December 28, Herman Van Rompuy was tasked with forming a government and assumed office on December 30, 2008. His term ended on November 25, 2009, when he became President of the European Council.