His Excellency Herman Van Rompuy was in SMU on 17 November 2014 as the 17th speaker of the Presidential Distinguished Lecturer Series.

In a wide-ranging discussion moderated by SMU President, Professor Arnoud De Meyer, His Excellency Van Rompuy shared his comments on topics such as the G20 Leaders’ Summit 2014, economic reforms in Europe, and the defining moments of his Presidency in the European Council.

His Excellency Van Rompuy was elected as the first full-time President of the European Council in November 2009.  In 2012, he was re-elected for a second term.  At the time of his first election, he was Prime Minister of Belgium.  Prior to that, he had served in Belgium as Speaker of the House of Representatives, and in several government positions, including as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Budget .

An author of several books, he has also received numerous awards and distinctions in his career.

In the first of a two-part podcast, we feature selected highlights of the dialogue session which took place in November 2014.