Wilfried Martens, the President of the European People’s Party (EPP) and former Prime Minister of Belgium, received from King Albert II the task of implementing a transition process in the Belgian government, following the nomination by the European Council of Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy as the first President of the Council under the Lisbon Treaty.

In December 2008 during the political crisis in Belgium, King Albert II gave Wilfried Martens the role of “explorer” and following hard negotiations with the political parties, he proposed Herman Van Rompuy as Prime Minister.

“I am honoured to receive from King Albert II the task of formulating and implementing a transition process following the nomination of Herman Van Rompuy as the first Council President. This is a delicate task but I believe that I will be able to implement it in a way that it ensures stability and continuity in the Belgian government,” stated the EPP President.