The delight that most Belgians felt at seeing their prime minister elevated to the presidency of the European Union last week was laced with concerns over what his departure from the Belgian political scene might mean for their own fragile union.
Herman Van Rompuy’s 11-month stint as prime minister is already being referred to as a halcyon period in Belgian politics: a time uniquely devoid of the government instability and separatist tensions which have marred the country’s political scene.
