Charles Michel becomes Belgian prime minister at the age of 38
New premier fluent in French and Flemish becomes one of Europe's youngest leaders
Charles Michel, who became Belgium's prime minister on Tuesday, is a French-speaking liberal who, at 38, is now one of the youngest leaders in Europe.
Bald, bespectacled and sporting a goatee beard, he began his rapid rise to power in the shadow of his father Louis Michel, a former minister and European commissioner.
At the head of a centre-right coalition government that took nearly five months to form after May 25 parliamentary elections, Michel is also Belgium's youngest premier since 1840.
He replaces socialist Elio di Rupo, who had been in a caretaker role since the national elections produced a typically inconclusive result in a country bitterly divided between Flemish and French speakers.
"He is a very determined person, ready to assume his responsibilities, even shake up the established order," one of his colleagues said.
He also described Michel as a "pure intellectual" who is passionate about literature and poetry as well as someone who loves French and Italian cuisine.
Michel has been part of the Belgian political landscape for more than 15 years.
