A Franco-German alliance behind the appointment of Europe's first president has been exposed after a diplomat inadvertently revealed Angela Merkel's preferred choice. Berlin's silence over whom it backs for the new job was broken by Reinhard Bettzuege, the German Ambassador to Belgium, who let slip that his Chancellor was behind Herman Van Rompuy, the Belgian Prime Minister. Mr Van Rompuy has emerged as favourite to become the EU's first full-time president, overtaking Tony Blair. Ms Merkel admitted what President Sarkozy has been claiming for weeks: that Paris and Berlin will agree on their candidates before tonight's summit of the 27 leaders in Brussels to select the president and EU foreign minister, another post that has been created by the Lisbon treaty. Under the new rules national vetoes have been abolished and any vote on the candidates would be based on a qualified majority -- with large countries counting for much more than smaller ones. The deal completes a revival of the Franco-German axis, which was the centre of the EU before its enlargement to include countries from the former Eastern bloc.
A Franco-German alliance behind the appointment of Europe's first president has been exposed after a diplomat inadvertently revealed Angela Merkel's preferred choice.
Berlin's silence over whom it backs for the new job was broken by Reinhard Bettzuege, the German Ambassador to Belgium, who let slip that his Chancellor was behind Herman Van Rompuy, the Belgian Prime Minister. Mr Van Rompuy has emerged as favourite to become the EU's first full-time president, overtaking Tony Blair.
Ms Merkel admitted what President Sarkozy has been claiming for weeks: that Paris and Berlin will agree on their candidates before tonight's summit of the 27 leaders in Brussels to select the president and EU foreign minister, another post that has been created by the Lisbon treaty.
Under the new rules national vetoes have been abolished and any vote on the candidates would be based on a qualified majority -- with large countries counting for much more than smaller ones. The deal completes a revival of the Franco-German axis, which was the centre of the EU before its enlargement to include countries from the former Eastern bloc.
European leaders are heading for a fierce battle on Thursday after Germany and France were accused of plotting to bounce their favoured federalist candidate into the post of EU president. Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy were revealed to have made a pact to railroad Herman Van Rompuy, Belgium's Prime Minister, into the powerful Brussels job created by the Lisbon Treaty. The attempted "stitch-up" angered Britain, Spain, Italy and Poland along with other central and east European countries.
Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy were revealed to have made a pact to railroad Herman Van Rompuy, Belgium's Prime Minister, into the powerful Brussels job created by the Lisbon Treaty.
The attempted "stitch-up" angered Britain, Spain, Italy and Poland along with other central and east European countries.
It is the stated goal of the next rotating presidency (Spain, Belgium, Hungary) to "restore the institutional balance" and limit the dominance of the large member states and their directoire style. They have their job cut for them... En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
Should we start an ET betting pool?
A cross-party group of MEPs have called for former Irish president Mary Robinson for the role of EU president.
In addition, the French-German initiative has caused unease to Fredrik Reinfelds, prime minister of Sweden, who holds the Union's presidency and who, as such, is charged with making the nominations for the appointments.
Well, Reinfeldt can't propose a candidate on his own, what he wanted (it's somewhere on ET) was to propose a single name in public after consultations with everyone behind closed doors, for a show of unity. Meanwhile the leaders of France and Germany were said to have wanted to keep their support for a joint candidate confidential, too, for fear of a repeat of the Barrroso selection. So this leak of support for van Rompuy is either a diplomatic mishap, or a reaction to a Brown/Bliar maneuver. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Will the new President be a Belgian, a Latvian, or even a Brit? Only one thing is certain: it won't be a snap decisionThe finals of the European Job Contest will take place in Brussels tonight, without the cheap glitter of the musical version but with the same sort of secret, national horse-trading and, most probably, the same kind of unmemorable winners. EU heads of state or government will meet over dinner to choose the first ever President of the European Council and the first ever High Representative for foreign affairs. Confusion over the likely outcome was so great last night that the Swedish government, which will chair the meeting, made emergency plans for dinner to extend to breakfast, and even lunch, on Friday.
The finals of the European Job Contest will take place in Brussels tonight, without the cheap glitter of the musical version but with the same sort of secret, national horse-trading and, most probably, the same kind of unmemorable winners.
EU heads of state or government will meet over dinner to choose the first ever President of the European Council and the first ever High Representative for foreign affairs. Confusion over the likely outcome was so great last night that the Swedish government, which will chair the meeting, made emergency plans for dinner to extend to breakfast, and even lunch, on Friday.
made emergency plans for dinner to extend to breakfast, and even lunch, on Friday.
