Canny Belgian poised for second term at EU helm

(BRUSSELS) - Herman Van Rompuy, the quiet Belgian who has steered the troublesome EU ship through two years of financial turbulence, is set for re-election as president of the European Council at a summit Thursday.

His appointment for a second 30-month term kicks off a two-day European Union summit starting Thursday, whose main task is the signing of a new treaty to tighten economic governance across the 27-nation bloc.

"There are no other candidates," said one senior EU diplomat.

When Van Rompuy was named EU chairman late 2009, under the bloc's new Lisbon Treaty rule-book, critics said it was his very modest amount of charisma that most appealed to European leaders.

A technocrat as the face of the EU posed no threat to the national leaders parading through Brussels.

But more than two years later, through the relentless dramas of Europe's devastating debt crisis, his skill at backroom diplomacy has won Van Rompuy a reputation as a discreet and able negotiator.

"If politics is the art of the possible, he's perfect," said analyst Hugo Brady of the Centre for European Reform.

"If he wasn't there we'd miss him. We need a steady hand," he said. "He's contributed to the orderly holding of European Councils," or summits.

A slight 64-year-old with a priestly demeanour, the former Belgian premier was ridiculed at the outset as the "invisible president" or "Mister Nobody".

He retorted he was never given a mandate for political prominence.

"As an unpretentious guy from a small country managing a vague and ill-defined brief it's good he stays on," Brady said. "And these are not times to change."

"He's active, competent and given there's little executive power has done well."

So what does he do? Navigate between the wishes of the big powers and the fears of the smaller nations, according to analysts.

The wily former Belgian premier, a lover of Japanese poetry and devout Catholic, is also expected at the summit to be named the somewhat unlikely new master of nations sharing the euro -- a job titled "President of the Euro Summit".

There are scant detail on his new duties, other than to chair twice-yearly euro summit meetings and "keep the non-euro area member states closely informed of the preparation and outcome of the summits," according to EU statements.

On the euro so far "he's channelled French and German expectations but hasn't struck an independent voice," Brady said.

"In a second term we might hear about what he really thinks. Leadership would be welcome," he added.

In his 11 months at the helm of Belgium, the Flemish but francophile politician stabilised a country deeply split between its Dutch-speaking north and poorer French-speaking south, earning the nickname of a Mr Fixit.

Born in 1947, he was taught by Jesuits and studied Thomas Aquinas before dedicating himself to economics, politics and Haikus, the 17-syllable form of Japanese poetry.

A father of four, he never cut a ruthless figure in Belgian political circles and has remained modest about his role at the head of Europe.

"In 15 years, I have not changed my mind. Politics is not everything in life," he said before his 2009 anointment.