EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A deal struck by EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday evening (19 November) marked the latest step of an improbable rise by two erstwhile little-known politicians. Controversy over government meddling in a court case surrounding the breakup of the cross-border bank, Fortis, late last year saw Herman Van Rompuy unexpectedly catapulted into the role of Belgian prime minister....He has been supportive of stimulus spending, despite presiding over a country with one of Europe's highest debt-to-GDP ratios, and on Thursday night said battling the "anxiety and uncertainty" triggered by the financial crisis and fighting climate change will be his top priorities.More controversially, comments made by the Belgian leader in 2004, when in opposition, suggest he does not favour the prospect of Turkey joining the EU, drawing concerns from Turkish politicians following his appointment to the council presidency post. ...Ms Ashton's rise could possibly be described as being even less expected... she has won plaudits for her trade negotiations, recently securing a free-trade agreement with South Korea, considered the jewel in the EU's crown of bilateral deals.She has also worked hard to kick-start the stalled multilateral Doha trade negotiations and recently made good progress in resolving a long-running dispute with several Latin American countries over bananas.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A deal struck by EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday evening (19 November) marked the latest step of an improbable rise by two erstwhile little-known politicians.
Controversy over government meddling in a court case surrounding the breakup of the cross-border bank, Fortis, late last year saw Herman Van Rompuy unexpectedly catapulted into the role of Belgian prime minister.
...He has been supportive of stimulus spending, despite presiding over a country with one of Europe's highest debt-to-GDP ratios, and on Thursday night said battling the "anxiety and uncertainty" triggered by the financial crisis and fighting climate change will be his top priorities.
More controversially, comments made by the Belgian leader in 2004, when in opposition, suggest he does not favour the prospect of Turkey joining the EU, drawing concerns from Turkish politicians following his appointment to the council presidency post.
...Ms Ashton's rise could possibly be described as being even less expected... she has won plaudits for her trade negotiations, recently securing a free-trade agreement with South Korea, considered the jewel in the EU's crown of bilateral deals.
She has also worked hard to kick-start the stalled multilateral Doha trade negotiations and recently made good progress in resolving a long-running dispute with several Latin American countries over bananas.
(BTW, did van Rompuy repeat that about Turkey now, or is Cohn-Bendit talking about quotes of his 2004 remarks?) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
