No-one would never think of describing Van Rompuy as a “damp rag” or a “low-grade bank clerk”. Those were the notoriously uncouth words used by British MEP Nigel Farage to describe his brother Herman, the president of the European Council. Herman may have risen to greater heights in politics – including a short period as prime minister – but Eric has the monopoly on sheer presence.

Eric is a bull of a man with the build of a street-fighter, and the tenacity to match. While his brother has the ascetic look of a philosopher, Eric is an enforcer.

So it is that he has fought for the Flemish cause and for the interests of the people of his area, around Zaventem and the municipalities surrounding Brussels, for the last 30 years in the Flemish parliament. “I’ve always had the character of a fighter,” he admitted to VTM news. “A bit of a rebel.”

“He’s different from me,” added brother Herman, who was present for the ceremony. “But I think that he has been true to his charter, and that has earned everyone’s respect.” Eric Van Rompuy, 63, was born in Ukkel and studied economics and philosophy, before completing a doctorate in economics at KULeuven. He then went to work for the Kredietbank (now KBC) while serving as youth president of the CVP party, now CD&V. Aside from his distinguished brother, the family also included sister Christine, who is active within the left-wing PVDA.

Eric’s career moved between the council in Zaventem, where he still sits, the national parliament, the European Parliament and the Flemish parliament. He was the first Flemish minister of agriculture, media and enterprise but was severely disappointed when, in 2004, party colleague and new minister-president Yves Leterme declined to appoint him as a minister.

Van Rompuy is married to Viviane Geuffens, whom he met in the corridors of the federal parliament, and the couple has a daughter, Heidi, who last week assured the VRT that she had no plans to continue the Van Rompuy dynasty’s involvement in politics.