Reinfeldt: no need for a strong Council president | Policies | EU governance | Council of Ministers | European Voice
The European Union's small and medium-sized countries do not want a strong leader as the first full-time president of the European Council, according to Fredrik Reinfeldt, the prime minister of Sweden, which took over the presidency of the EU yesterday (1 July). Reinfeldt said that EU governments were divided over the powers and influence of the new figure, who will, if the Lisbon treaty comes into effect, chair the European Council for up to five years. The permanent president is supposed to work alongside the government leader of the country that, under the existing system, holds the rotating presidency of the Council of Ministers. Reinfeldt said that while some member states thought that the president should be a strong personality, others wanted a consensus-seeking chairman. The choice, he said, would be "a balance between those who want a strong leader - a figure leading Europe - or more of a person presiding over meetings and co-chairing with the rotating presidency". He added: "Small and medium-sized countries are less interested in a strong leader." Reinfeldt's comments reflect growing resistance from some national governments to appointing a high-profile figure such as Tony Blair, the former UK prime minister, as the first full-time president, for fear that he might marginalise leaders from smaller countries and compete with leaders from the big member states.
Reinfeldt said that EU governments were divided over the powers and influence of the new figure, who will, if the Lisbon treaty comes into effect, chair the European Council for up to five years. The permanent president is supposed to work alongside the government leader of the country that, under the existing system, holds the rotating presidency of the Council of Ministers. Reinfeldt said that while some member states thought that the president should be a strong personality, others wanted a consensus-seeking chairman. The choice, he said, would be "a balance between those who want a strong leader - a figure leading Europe - or more of a person presiding over meetings and co-chairing with the rotating presidency". He added: "Small and medium-sized countries are less interested in a strong leader."
Reinfeldt's comments reflect growing resistance from some national governments to appointing a high-profile figure such as Tony Blair, the former UK prime minister, as the first full-time president, for fear that he might marginalise leaders from smaller countries and compete with leaders from the big member states.
From some random googling it appears that he made that statement primarily to foreign media at the yearly politics week in Almedalen. A vote for PES is a vote for EPP! A vote for EPP is a vote for PES! Support the coalition, vote EPP-PES in 2009!
