Belgian Prime Minister Herman Von Rompuy, is the salvager of the equally unbalanced  ‘Belgian project’ who came in as a final sigh of relief earlier this year to Belgian’s salvation seeing as the government had been without one for 200 days. Unfortunately for Belgium he cannot hold a national office at the same time as being President.

President Van Rompuy takes up the position 1 December and seemed more than keen after being voted in by consensus from the 27 heads of state of Europe in what was one of the shortest council meetings in the past years.

“Even though it was more than difficult to have to leave the running of my country, I accepted the position and I was thankful for the honor that was bestowed on me. I look at this as a compliment to Belgium which has dedicated itself constantly to the construction of Europe. I didn’t ask for this position and I didn’t’ lobby for it in away but as of tonight I will take it on with conviction, I take it on with enthusiasm,” Van Rompuy said.

Many a critic and European commentator had talked of the role of the European President in the last weeks leading up to this position being announced, including that of former Commission and vital player in the makeup of Europe’s history, Jacques Delors, who through his organization Notre Europe released a statement on the same day as the announcement saying that “it would be a poor interpretation of the Lisbon treaty if the chosen person were to consider himself or herself as the president of the European Union. It would also be an invitation to conflict over competencies and a challenge to sensitivities of heads of state and government.”

 

In essence Jacques Delors sees that “the Unions’ permanent President will only be truly useful if he or she facilitates debate at the highest level about Europe’s future.”

A trait that the European Council stated clearly was placed in high importance to reach their decision on a candidate.

Van Rompuy himself said that his role will be that of negotiator, facilitator, until the end of the year in co-Presidency with the Swedish Presidency of the European Council and thereafter on his own.

Speaking to a popular broadcaster present at the European Council a journalist from Radio Contact in Brussels Sofia Cotsoglou, her first thought was that now it will be difficult again to find a suitable Prime Minister for Belgium, this small country which has a three part federation, 3 official languages, and whose strong convictions whether be it from the Flemish or the Wallons or the Brusselites had left them in a powerless impasse for a historic period of non-governance. They made it into the Guinness Book of Records.

Jaana Pohjanmaki, An employee of the European Council from Finland, speaking in a personal capacity, said that “we have waited so long for this; it really is a very big night for Europe. It will mean coherence, progress and a great change; the Civil servants of Europe have been waiting a long time for this and will be very happy!”

The outcome remains to be seen.

Europe tends to thrive on bureaucracy, let’s hope this wasn’t one more move to increase it.  

Under Article 15 (6) of the Treaty of the European Union, the President of the European Council will have the following duties, to chair the Council and drive forward its work, to ensure preparation and continuity of the work of the European Council in cooperation with the President of the European Commission and on the basis of the work of the General Affairs Council. He will endeavour to facilitate cohesion and consensus within the European Council and he will present a report to the European Parliament after each of the meetings of the European Council.

Last but not least he will ensure the external representation of the Union on issues concerning its common foreign security policy, without prejudice to the powers of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.