The European Union is struggling to avoid the embarrassment of lacking agreed nominees for the posts of president and foreign policy supremo at a summit on Thursday in which the winning candidates are supposed to be announced.An absence of consensus by Monday on who should be appointed to the foreign policy job was preventing Herman Van Rompuy, Belgium's prime minister, from consolidating his position as favourite to become the first full-time EU president.The two jobs are intended to improve the EU's ability to speak with one voice and project its influence in the world, after its expansion in recent years from a 15-member to a 27-member bloc.According to several EU government ministers and diplomats, the hunt for a foreign policy candidate of the right political and geographical profile has proved harder than rallying support for Mr Van Rompuy.There is even a small risk that Sweden, holder of the EU's rotating presidency, will not have found an answer by the time it opens Thursday's summit - although EU officials say Stockholm's firm goal is to strike a deal beforehand.
An absence of consensus by Monday on who should be appointed to the foreign policy job was preventing Herman Van Rompuy, Belgium's prime minister, from consolidating his position as favourite to become the first full-time EU president.
The two jobs are intended to improve the EU's ability to speak with one voice and project its influence in the world, after its expansion in recent years from a 15-member to a 27-member bloc.
According to several EU government ministers and diplomats, the hunt for a foreign policy candidate of the right political and geographical profile has proved harder than rallying support for Mr Van Rompuy.
There is even a small risk that Sweden, holder of the EU's rotating presidency, will not have found an answer by the time it opens Thursday's summit - although EU officials say Stockholm's firm goal is to strike a deal beforehand.
Bliar seems really out of the race, but the elevation of the president of the European Council into 'EU President' sticked around. Will the UK media learn once van Rompuy has been around for some time? (I presume that he will even manage to not outshine Barroso -- not because he's bad but because he's low-profile.) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Above all because the "European Union" can only be struggling, embarrassed, and lacking, now it seems clear Blair will not be appointed president of the European Council.
Did we win? Unless there's a last minute zombie recall from beyond the grave, I think we won.
People didn't expect the Titanic to sink, either.
[afew's Crystal Ball of Doom™ Technology]
This isn't just the end of Blair's hopes, it's the end of Blair's influence. Once Dubya was gone, he lost his most significant patron.
He has no one of equal seriousness to lean on now. What's left of the rabid right will be happy to throw him to the dogs.
I predict another book deal, soon.
Please don't declare victory until a Pres. is put in. Like in the US you might be one real or staged terrorist attack away from reversing things. Now where's the fun in that! - Megatron
