Its hard not to see the rotating Presidencies as a transitional feature which may come to be seen as a bug - as in the case of the Council itself. notes from no w here
I don't know, on the other hand, what to think of the proposal of uniting the functions of Commission President and European Council president. Except that there is probably something of the above objection to be expected.
On the rotating presidency: the small countries don't want to lose it entirely, and the fact that it remains in the Lisbon treaty is probably a concession that helped calm their revolt. (I say probably, no historical certainty on that!)
The Council and the Commission are very different bodies (the first intergovernmental, and mainly legislative, the second supranational and mainly executive). I don't think that they should have one head, as the roles are very different. I'm also not happy about the new single Council presidency and hope that the position will not become one of great power. An appointed Council President is appropriate insofar as the body is intergovernmental -- of the Member States.
I'm also not happy about the new single Council presidency and hope that the position will not become one of great power.
An appointed Council President is appropriate insofar as the body is intergovernmental -- of the Member States.
FT.com | Gideon Rachman's Blog | Kissinger never wanted to dial Europe
The Kissinger "who do I call" remark was trotted out at almost every seminar I ever went to Brussels. So I'm delighted to add it to the list of "famous sayings that were never said". Reginald Dale of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington (and before that of The Financial Times) has written to me to say: "Kissinger never made the famous remark about Europe's telephone number. According to the late Peter Rodman, who knew him well, the saying is apocryphal, and in fact Kissinger's concern was the precise opposite - he was fed up with having to deal with a Dane whom he regarded as incompetent and ineffective, who was trying to represent the whole of the EU as President of the Council. Kissinger himself has disowned the remark, and it seems that he was actually seeking to divide and rule in Europe, rather than be restricted to a single voice on the telephone."
The Kissinger "who do I call" remark was trotted out at almost every seminar I ever went to Brussels. So I'm delighted to add it to the list of "famous sayings that were never said".
Reginald Dale of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington (and before that of The Financial Times) has written to me to say: "Kissinger never made the famous remark about Europe's telephone number. According to the late Peter Rodman, who knew him well, the saying is apocryphal, and in fact Kissinger's concern was the precise opposite - he was fed up with having to deal with a Dane whom he regarded as incompetent and ineffective, who was trying to represent the whole of the EU as President of the Council. Kissinger himself has disowned the remark, and it seems that he was actually seeking to divide and rule in Europe, rather than be restricted to a single voice on the telephone."
