Faces of Europe

European Council President: Herman van Rompuy

Herman Van Rompuy won't have to travel far to find his new office at the European Union headquarters in Brussels. That's because van Rompuy is already the current Prime Minister of Belgium, a post he's held for less than a year.

"Even if it is particularly difficult to abandon the leadership of my country, I accept your decision and I thank you for the honor you have given me," said Van Rompuy, referring to his unanimous appointment by the 27 EU members.

Van Rompuy comes to the post of European Council president from a financial background. During the 1990s, he was Belgium's budget minister under Jean-Luc Dehaene, and was considered to be a budgetary hardliner who is tough on governments who try and spend their way out of recession.

Before entering the political arena, Van Rompuy worked in the Belgian central bank. He's the author of six books and is known to have strong religious convictions.

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeld, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, hailed Van Rompuy's selection.

"The idea is to have a leader of the (EU) council... who actually gives room for everyone, who listens to everyone, who creates winners not losers," Reinfeldt said. "We have achieved that."

However, Van Rompuy has received criticism for being a virtually unknown politician who will hold little sway.

"EU leaders have continued the job of weakening the EU institutions," said Daniel Cohn-Bendit, co-president of the Green members in the European Parliament, adding that Van Rompuy made a "bland" choice as council president.

High Representative for Foreign Affairs: Catherine Ashton

Former United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger once posed the question: "Who do I call when I want to call Europe?"

The answer is Britian's Catherine Ashton, the European Union's pick for the new post of High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

Ashton will leave her position as the EU's trade commissioner, where she played an important role in trade negotiations with countries such as Russia and China. She served as the EU's trade leader one year ago and will vacate the spot to assume the role of Europe's foreign policy chief.

Before coming to Brussels, Ashton was involved in the British government in education, justice and human rights positions, and as member of the UK Labour Party, was a close ally of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Brown was full of praise for Ashton after her nomination, saying that she will "ensure that Britain's voice is very loud and clear. It will ensure that we will remain - as I want Britain to be - at the heart of Europe."

Despite the support of Brown, some members of the British media were critical of Ashton's new appointment because she is not seen as the high profile politician that the EU needs.

mz/AFP/Reuters
Editor: Andreas Illmer