Belgian Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy was unanimously selected today to be the first permanent, full-time president of the European Council, after the UK said it was no longer pushing for former Prime Minister Tony Blair to get the post. Instead, the other top post created by the Lisbon Treaty – High Representative for Foreign Affairs – went to the UK’s EU Trade Commissioner, Baroness Catherine Ashton. More from the BBC:

“Mr Van Rompuy, 62, had crucial French and German support. He has a reputation as a coalition builder, having taken charge of the linguistically divided Belgian government and steered it out of a crisis.

‘Every country should emerge victorious from negotiations,’ he told a news conference after his appointment.

‘Even if unity remains our strength, our diversity remains our wealth,’ he said, stressing the individuality of EU member states.

…The idea under Lisbon is to give the EU more coherence and continuity in key policy areas. Up until now the presidency has been held by member states in turn, on a six-month rotation.”

The pair begin their new jobs on Dec. 1. BBC has profiles of Van Rompuy and the baroness here.

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