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.
