EU president Van Rompuy to leave politics end of 2014

EU president Herman Van Rompuy on Sunday announced he will leave politics once his mandate in the European Union runs out at the end of 2014. "Members of my family will be on the (political) lists. Those who want to vote for a Van Rompuy will have all the opportunities to do so. At the end of 2014, it's the end of my political career," the former Belgian prime minister announced on Dutch-language public broadcaster VRT. Van Rompuy, 65, became EU president in 2010 and was re-elected for another two-year mandate in 2012. The position only allows for two running terms and will therefore end for Van Rompuy in November next year. The Van Rompuy family is well represented in Belgium's political landscape. Herman's brother, Eric, is a Flemish lawmaker. His son Peter is active in the Christian-Democrat party of Dutch-speaking Flanders and his sister Tine has participated in several elections on leftist voting lists. Van Rompuy's wife, Geertrui, is a local politician active in a Brussels suburb.