European Union - president, foreign policy chief

EU struggles to find consensus on new jobs

Article published on the 2009-11-16 Latest update 2009-11-16 14:47 TU

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt at the EU parliament in Brussels on 11 November
(Photo: Reuters)

Following the recent ratification of the Lisbon treaty, European Union leaders are to meet in Brussels on Thursday to make appointments to the newly-created roles of President and Foreign Policy chief.

Three days before the summit, campaigning continues from various quarters of the 27-nation bloc on behalf of candidates. Despite the timeframe, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, whose country currently holds the rotating European presidency, said confidently that “three days is approaching eternity in politics”.

It is thought that Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, a member of Belgium's centre-right Christian Democrats, is favourite to secure the position of President.

Other candidates include Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende from the Christian Democrat Appeal party. Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker from Christian Social People's Party, who has already served as President of the European Council. And the only woman in the race, former Lativan President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, who became the first female premier of the Baltic country.

Some bookmakers are putting Van Rompuy as 1/2 favourite with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair second at 6/1. Blair is technically still in the race for the top job, although his bid has been in trouble with a lack of support from France and Germany.

Former British Conservative leader William Hague recently told the British press that the UK government should drop support for Blair and focus instead on securing a top economic job within the Commission.

On Monday however, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that Blair "remains, and will be, the candidate". But there is an online movement against his installation, Stop Blair, which already has more than 45,000 signatories for a petition expressing “total opposition to the nomination”.

For the new Foreign Affairs position former Italian Prime Minister Massimo D’Alema is likely to be the strongest contender. A former communist and journalist by trade, he spent two years as Prime Minister from 1998 to 2000, and represents the Democratic Party.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband is thought to be a popular choice, but he has already ruled himself out. EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton are also possible candidates.

Ashton’s chances may be improved by calls for more equality within the streamlined European Union created by the Lisbon treaty. EU Commissioners Margot Wallstroem and Neelie Kroes recently wrote that there needs to be a “collective political commitment to ensure political representation of women”.

However Irish MEP Nessa Childers goes further. She told the European Parliament that leaders should, “appoint a woman to the position of EU President or to the job of Foreign Representative”.

The first EU President and the Foreign Policy Chief will be selected at a working dinner in Brussels on 19 November.