Herman Van Rompuy is a practicing Catholic who belongs to the conservative wing of the Flemish Christian Democrat party. He likes haiku poetry and prefers the Beatles to the Stones.

Not long after Herman Van Rompuy unexpectedly became prime minister of Belgium late last year, he went on a skiing holiday to Austria - by overnight coach. He didn't intend to suddenly start living a life of luxury, he said. Last summer Van Rompuy ventured out quite a bit further, to Australia, but he traveled economy class.

The 62-year-old politician likes to project an image of modesty. In a recent interview he admitted he still can't bring himself to call the German chancellor by her first name. "I just can't do it. I'm too timid," he said. Now this shy politician will preside over meetings between Angela Merkel and the 26 other government leaders of the European Union bloc.

The new E.U. president's life motto is "rustige vastheid" or "quiet determination." It is also the name he gave to his house in Rhode-Saint-Genese, a wealthy suburb south of Brussels, right on the linguistic border between the Flemish and French-speaking parts of Belgium.

As prime minister, Van Rompuy brought back calm to Belgium, after what was the worst political crisis in the country's 180-year history. For this reason French-speaking politicians in Belgium are sorry to see him leave for Europe. The stage now seems set for the return of fellow Flemish Christian Democrat Yves Leterme, whose stubbornness brought the country to the brink of a break-up.