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Migeru:
President of the EU? (4.00 / 4) Can we stop perpetuating this misleading media frame?

Under the Reform Treaty there will be a permanent President of the European Council to replace the rotating six-month presidency we had so far.

However, there will still be a President of the European Commission. The European Commission will retain legislative initiative and be the executive branch (and civil service) of the EU.

In addition, there will be a High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, to replace both Solana's current position (associated with the Council) and the Commissioner for External Relations.

And then there will be the President of the European Parliament.

The "EU President" won't get to "run the EU". The President of the Commission will still get to do that. They won't represent the Eu internationally, the HRCFSP will do that.

I'm sick of the media frame that says that everything happens in the European Council. It only benefits the member states and people like Sarkozy and Blair, to the detriment of the Union.



We have met the enemy, and he is us — Pogo
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jan 31st, 2008 at 11:08:26 AM EST
I was just going to find this one...

So change to Council President in the draft, because Blair should not be that either.

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by A swedish kind of death on Thu Jan 31st, 2008 at 11:42:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]
You're right in principle, but you should notice that currently, when a country is in charge of the presidency of the European Council (like Slovenia), everybody (not only the media, but also the European institutions) uses the terms "presidency of the European Union".

"Dieu se rit des hommes qui se plaignent des conséquences alors qu'ils en chérissent les causes" Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
by Melanchthon on Thu Jan 31st, 2008 at 12:42:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Well, the way you phrase things influences the discourse. If we can get people to think about the "President of the Council" we will have scored an important point,
too.

I really cannot fathom the Commission allowing the Council to steal the limelight like this.

We have met the enemy, and he is us — Pogo

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jan 31st, 2008 at 02:47:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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