EU - Lisbon Treaty/president

EU President to be chosen on November 19

Article published on the 2009-11-11 Latest update 2009-11-11 11:33 TU

The first President of Europe will be chosen by EU leaders at a special summit in Sweden next week. They will also select what is effectively a foreign minister for the bloc.

"After an introductory round of consultations with his fellow heads of state and government, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has decided to convene an extra informal summit on 19 November," the Swedish EU presidency said in a statement.

The posts have been created following the ratification by all 27 nation members of the Lisbon Treaty.

"My prime minister is going to start a second round of consultations and hopefully we will be able to present the candidates next Thursday," Roberta Alenius, spokeswoman for Reinfeldt told AFP in Stockholm.

The current favourite to become president of the EU council is Belgium's centre-right Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, who has French and German support according to diplomats, although Britain is pushing the claims of former prime minister Tony Blair.

Other names mentioned for the president's post have included Dutch Prime Minister Peter Balkenende and former Latvian president Vaira Vike-Freiberga.

"My discussions show how important it is to have a good balance in the choice of posts," Reinfeldt told the daily Dagens Nyheter.

"The balance between left and right is very important for many, but also between big and small nations, between north and south, men and women. It's difficult to fill all the criteria."

.