Albert II of Belgium

During one of his country's episodic constitutional and political crises, he emerged from an emergency meeting with Belgium's King Albert II to make a typically gnomic statement. "Every human being must choose between mystery and the...

In this article: Herman Van Rompuy, European Union, Gordon Brown, Belgium, Europe, Belgian parliament, British Airways, and Reuters

...influence over the dismantling of a major bank). A reluctant leader, he reportedly required 90 minutes of persuasion by King Albert II to accept the position. As Prime Minister, his moderate temperament and fair-minded style has...

In this article: Herman Van Rompuy, Europe, Belgium, Turkey, Allegation, Christianity, Islamic, Belgium's Parliament, and Catholic University of Leuven

...among eastern Europeans, Scandinavians and, of course, the British. He has led Belgium for less than a year. He was summoned last December by King Albert II to try to salvage the country amid speculation it might split apart due to tensions...

In this article: Herman Van Rompuy, EU, Belgium, Christian Democratic, Tax, Catholic University of Leuven, and Albert II

...ET," she wrote recently. A year ago, Mr Van Rompuy was drifting towards retirement before he was plucked from obscurity by King Albert II in one the periodic crises that threaten to split the country's Flemish and French-speaking...

In this article: Herman Van Rompuy, European Union, Europe, Belgium, Tax, Reuters, Eric Van Rompuy, and Steven Spielberg

...have thought the best was yet to come." Van Rompuy has been prime minister of Belgium for less than a year, summoned last December by King Albert II, to try to salvage a country plagued by tensions between Dutch-speaking Flanders to the...

In this article: Herman Van Rompuy, EU, Belgium, Christian Democrat, Europe, De Standaard, Catholic University of Leuven, and Tony Blair

...of a moderate in Belgium's increasingly polarised politics, Mr Van Rompuy was eventually persuaded to take on the job by Belgian King Albert II. He was appointed prime minister, having held the position of president of the lower house of...

In this article: Belgium, Christian Democrat, EU, Europe, Fortis, Eric Van Rompuy, and Albert II

...all war dead. In Belgium, which saw some of the fiercest and bloodiest trench warfare on the Western Front during the 1914-1918 war, King Albert II was leading the royal family and government officials in a solemn commemoration in Brussels at...

In this article: Nicolas Sarkozy, World War I, Angela Merkel, Arc de Triomphe, Europe, Germany, France, and European Union