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He recently impressed European policymakers with a speech on policy delivery in Paris and has been focusing on Europe in his attacks on David Cameron and William Hague, lambasting the Conservatives for their decision to break with the mainstream centre-right in Europe and form a eurosceptic alliance with east European rightwingers. ... Diplomats said the foreign secretary was being mentioned increasingly for the post in Paris, as well as in Brussels, not least because he is seen as the most genuinely europhile of senior people in the Brown cabinet. ... Other names being mentioned for the post include Olli Rehn, Finland's European commissioner, and two women, Ursula Plassnik and Dora Bakoyannis, former foreign ministers of Austria and Greece.
...
Diplomats said the foreign secretary was being mentioned increasingly for the post in Paris, as well as in Brussels, not least because he is seen as the most genuinely europhile of senior people in the Brown cabinet.
Other names being mentioned for the post include Olli Rehn, Finland's European commissioner, and two women, Ursula Plassnik and Dora Bakoyannis, former foreign ministers of Austria and Greece.
Kouchner (FR) - ?
It is hard to see the EU giving control of foreign policy to a Brit given all that has happened in the last 10 years. In fact given the antics of the Tories, it is hard to see the EU giving anything the the UK in the next few years...
Sarkozy seems to be a key player here. Anybody got any idea what he will do next? notes from no w here
I would suggest that the Foreign policy job will go to a major player from a bigger country at the heart of the EU project - thus ruling out Miliban - and probably to a conservtive/centre right person.
This means that the Presidency job could go to a Europhile, anglo-phone, smaller country, leftist, women who does a good job of projecting popular legitimacy and engagement to a broad cross-section of the political spectrum.
I still think that it is far more likely to go to an ex-Prime Minister, but also that Mary Robinson is not quite the long-odds outsider one might expect but the basis of current political "realities". notes from no w here
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence." 'Sapere aude'
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
Paris - The sharks who have been circling French President Nicolas Sarkozy since the start of his rule are stirring: they can smell blood in the water. A series of missteps, unpopular proposals and high-profile controversies ...
As a sign of Sarkozy's growing unease, he gave a lengthy interview to what many people consider his house organ, the daily Le Figaro, in which he addressed virtually every issue currently preoccupying him.
Blair contesté pour la présidence de l'Europe
● Sarkozy: Sterling pounds Tony Blair's chances
Sarkozy seems to be a key player here. Anybody got any idea what he will do next?
Still, my gut feeling is that Sarkozy just cannot accept to cede the European front scene to a charismatic person like Blair -- an obscure nobody from a small country would suit him admirably.
And Prince Jean has nothing to do with this: he was needed at the EPAD chair to keep a "safe" hand on the financial spigot: La Défense and the whole area West of Paris is the UMP's "Green Zone".
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