EU president Van Rompuy presents book of haiku poems

EU president Herman Van Rompuy on Thursday presented his first book of haikus, mini-poems in the Japanese style, promising to keep writing them despite his political commitments.

"The conciseness of haiku offers me the opportunity to penetrate the essence of words by expressing so much in so little space in an unaffected language," the former Belgian prime minister explained, using many more words than one of his 17-syllable poetic creations.

At a press event at the Belgian parliament, with Japanese ambassador Nobutake Odano looking on, the European Council president explained that he caught the haiku bug in 2004 and "I have not stopped since then."

Insisting that the "light verse form" avoids "the pain and inner conflict" of longer forms of poetry, Van Rompuy said his works were "never obsessed or driven by passion, but rather with enthusiasm."

The scholarly Van Rompuy, known as a quiet but effective diplomat rather than a table-thumper, assumed his new role last December. On that occasion he regaled journalists with a haiku based on the three successive holders of the EU's rotating presidency, Spain, Belgium and Hungary.

"Three waves rolling, together into the harbour. The trio is home."

In the 124-page book the haikus, written in his native Dutch language, are each translated into four languages, including Latin, while retaining the haiku form.

Recently Van Rompuy, who does most of his political work behind the scenes, saw himself dragged unwillingly into the public arena when UK Independence party MEP Nigel Farage likened him to "a damp rag" during exchanges in the European parliament.

"Between poetry and politics I do not see many links," Van Rompuy said Thursday.

Describing his style, he added "a haiku-poet, in politics, cannot be extravagant, nor super-vain, nor extremist."