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Famous People
See here for some famous faces from EU history and today. Follow the links to home pages for many of them.
You can also do a general search using the online ‘who’s who’ of the European Union
Donald Tusk
Donal Tusk is the President of the European Council until 2017. He took office in 2014.
See here for a link to his home page
Federica Mogherini 
Federica Mogherini is the the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy until 2019.
She is head of the EEAS and also a Vice President of the European Commission.
See here for more about Federica Mogherini and the EEAS
Martin Schultz
Martin Schultz was appointed President of the European Parliament on 1 July 2014. He will hold this office until January 2017.
He was born in Germany in 1955.
In his early life he worked as a bookseller and had his own bookshop which he ran for 12 years.
In 1987 he became the Mayor of Wurselen until 1998 and from 1994 he was a member of the European Parliament as a member of the Socialist Party Grouping.
He was first elected on 17 January 2012. His term was then renewed in 2014 for a second term of 2 ½ years.
Jean-Claude Junker
President Jean-Claude Junker is President of the European Commission from 1 Nov 2014 until 2017
See here for a link to his home page
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President Herman van Rompuy
Herman Van Rompuy was President of the European Council until 2014. He was elected in 2009. He was the first person to hold this office which is a new role created by the Lisbon Treaty.
He was born in Brussels in 1947. He was famous for being able to speak many European languages and for writing poetry in the Haiku style. See below for examples of his poetry, links and videos.
See here for his biography
See below for Van Rompuy reading his poetry at the UN (it’s at the end).
Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, in New York/UNGA 2011 : At the Haiku competition of the UN International School.
See below for a selection of his Haiku
Beneath my Wheels
Beneath my wheels
the first leaves are cracking
comes the autumn wind
NEW YEAR
Silence and joy
From Christmas to New Year
Hoping also for hope.
JAPAN
The three disasters.
Storms turn into a soft wind.
A new, humane wind.
AFTER A LONG DAY OF WORK
The harvest is reaped,
trees are shaking off the leaves.
Evening is near.
EUROPE’S DAY
A corona of stars
Rolling over the deep blue sea
Together forever
In Dutch
Zonlicht
De Dordognse zon
Bonkt, blakert, koestert en maakt
De dagen trager
Kortstondig
Plots ploft de regen
neer en ineens is het stil.
Een kort levensschot.
Een jongetje zwaait
Naar starende schapen maar
Geen enkel zwaait weer.
Geroezemoes van
vogels in de volle kruin.
Ondoordringbaar groen.
Een krans van sterren
deinend op de blauwe zee
samen voor altijd
Catherine Ashton
Baroness Catherine Ashton was the the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy until 2014.
She was head of the EEAS and also a Vice President of the European Commission.
See here for more about Catherine Ashton and the EEAS
José Manuel Barroso
President José Manuel Barroso was President of the European Commission until 2014.
He was a very active Commission President and was very influential.
See here for his a link to his home page
Martin Schultz
Martin Schultz was appointed President of the European Parliament in 17 January 2012.
He was born in Germany in 1955.
In his early life he worked as a bookseller and had his own bookshop which he ran for 12 years.
In 1987 he became the Mayor of Wurselen until 1998 and from 1994 he was a member of the European Parliament as a member of the Socialist Party Grouping.
He was first elected on 17 January 2012. His term was then renewed in 2014.
Jerzy Buzek
Jerzy Buzek was the President of the European Parliament from 2009 until 17th January 2012.
See here for his home page
He is the first Pole to be President of the European Parliament. He was an MEP in 2004 until 2009, and he was the Prime Minister of Poland in 1997. He studied science gaining his Doctorate in 1969.
Romano Prodi
Romano Prodi was President of the Commission from 1999 to 2004. He was an Italian politician, twice becoming prime minister of Italy and was Professor of Industrial Policy in Bologna in 1971.
Jean Monnet
Jean Monnet is considered the man who started the idea of the EU along wiht Robert Schuman in 1950.
He was a French career civil servant and the basic plan for integrating the coal and steel industries in Europe was his idea.
Robert Schuman
Robert Schuman is credited along with Jean Monnet of creating the foundation of the EU.
He was a French politician from the Lorraine, an area of France close to the German border, and often the subject of territorial dispute.
In 1950 he published the Schuman Declaration on the 9th May in which he outlined the plans for combining the coal and steel industries of Europe. This became known as the Schuman Plan.
See HERE for the full text of the Schuman Declaration of 1950
Europe Day is celebrated on May 9th every year.