Our first President?

[chornedsnorkack]

Now that van Rompuy shall be our President in less than two weeks, how and when are you going to find a new Prime Minister? Belgium was collapsing before he took office - will Belgium collapse now?

Where is the Presidential Palace? And what is the official plane of our President?

What is the First Family like? I hear that it is one Geertrui Wilders, and 4 children in their twenties. Who is our First Pet - dog, cat, or none at all?

[Airbus330lover]

No Air Force One for the EU President ?

[Buzz]

He is not a President like Obama in the USA, he is just the president of the meeting of the 27 heads of state of the EU members. Big difference imho. He will not have his own plane, he will not even have that much power... He is the face of the EU, and the mediator between the 27 EU members, and that's it.

Still, it's a great honor for Belgium, even though we'll probably head into another crisis real soon because of it...

[cathay belgium]

Hi,

It's nice that he's ours but
* for B : troubled times because of our politically instable government,new prime minister,BHV,..
* for europe : if you choose a not so known man as chairman of the eu this will mean the job
won't be so good/strong as it should! Not accept a strong (british-french-german) face will
create a weak EU what's bad for the EU. ( but as my meaning was the thing they wanted to do
in the first place.
The Unites States of EU is not for tommorrow, too many etnics,religions,languages,historic
events.and to less money !
Just has to accept it!
*for an air force one EU : Herman can rent probably MR. DeCrems new toy !
It's paid by the Belgians,build by the Germans and French,painted as cheap as the Dutch,
leased from the Portugese,.. quite europe enough
CX-B

[regi]

He is driven around in an armoured vehicle.
Hopefully his driver doesn't steer into a canal, or bye bye first EU president.
One of his tasks is to say "hello" to president Obama or other heads of state who come to visit ( Brussels ) . Meaning: our EU president doesn't need to fly abroad and doesn't need a AF1.
But I bet that his minister of foreign affairs will collect a lot of miles.

[sn26567]

But I bet that his minister of foreign affairs will collect a lot of miles.

I doubt that Air De Crem has a frequent flyer programme

[regi]

sorry, I was not referring to De Crem but to Catherine Ashton. Officially she is called the high representative for foreign affairs.

[chornedsnorkack]

He is driven around in an armoured vehicle.

Who shall build the armoured official EU presidential cars?

[regi]

he has already one.

[chornedsnorkack]

The President must start working today.

Have you found a new prime minister yet?

[regi]

The government of Leterme 2 has been sworn in some days ago.
If he follows the footsteps of Martens, he can last 7 more governments before he can set a new record...

[chornedsnorkack]

Meaning: our EU president doesn't need to fly abroad and doesn't need a AF1.
But I bet that his minister of foreign affairs will collect a lot of miles.

Baroness Ashton needs her own plane:
http://euobserver.com/9/29624/?rk=1

Surely van Rompuy deserves his plane, too?

[regi]

No, his work place is about 10 miles from his home. He can take a moped. Or a bicycle as his more sportive brother.

[chornedsnorkack]

The government of Leterme 2 has been sworn in some days ago.
If he follows the footsteps of Martens, he can last 7 more governments before he can set a new record...

And Leterme has duly collapsed.

How many governments shall Belgium yet have - if any?

[chornedsnorkack]

Rompuy family is driven in official car/s (8 souls+guards, presumably) to CDG on holiday trips, because TGV is unsafe:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/wor ... 54610.html

Why are they allowed to embark on commercial planes for holiday trips? Surely security requires official plane ands using it exclusively incl. for family holidays?