Herman Van Rompuy 2007, was elected as the President of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, succeeding Herman De Croo. On 28 December 2008, following the 2007–2008 Belgian political crisis, was asked by King Albert II to form a new government after he was reluctant to take up the role of prime minister. He was sworn in as Belgian prime minister on 30 December 2008. On 13 October 2009 Bloomberg reported that the government of would seek to tax banks and nuclear power to tame the deficit. "We are in the early stages of a recovery and at this time it is important not
Herman Van Rompuy of state or government of the EU member states, as the first full-time President of that Council under the Treaty of Lisbon. He was appointed for the period from 1 December 2009 until 31 May 2012, though he only took up his position officially on 1 January 2010. On 1 March 2012 he was re-elected for a second (and last) term, to last from 1 June 2012 until 30 November 2014. Born in Etterbeek, Brussels, to Dr., later Professor of Economics, Victor Lodewijk Maurits "Vic" van Rompuy (Begijnendijk, 27 February 1923 – Begijnendijk, 14 November 2004) and wife Germaine Geens