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David Miliband tipped as EU foreign minister | Politics | guardian.co.uk
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.



En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Oct 23rd, 2009 at 04:52:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]
So:
Milliband (UK) - Labour (PES)
Rehn (FI) - Centre Party (ELDR)
Plassnik (AT) - ÖVP (EPP)
Bakoyannis (GR) - New Democracy (EPP)

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Oct 23rd, 2009 at 06:01:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Kouchner (FR) - ?
Joschka Fischer (DE) - Greens (Greens-EFA)
Franz-Walter Steinmeier (DE) - SPD (PES)
Carl Bildt (SE) - Moderate Party (EPP)

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Fri Oct 23rd, 2009 at 06:23:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]
DoDo:
Kouchner (FR) - ?
Kouchner (FR) - Kouchner (Kouchner) ?

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Oct 23rd, 2009 at 06:28:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]
LOL... sounds about right.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Fri Oct 23rd, 2009 at 08:15:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Given that many regard the High Commissioner post as the more substantial one, it is hard not to see it going to a political heavyweight such as some of those you suggest - Migs list look like B listers to me - with Miliband included as a sop or misdirection to the UK to prevent Blair getting into place.

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

by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Fri Oct 23rd, 2009 at 08:57:51 AM EST
[ Parent ]
One of the two posts will go to a big country and the other to a small country.  Both cannot go to anglophone candidates or candidates from the same region -e.g. Iberia.  Ideally one will be a women, and probably one will not come from the conservative block.

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

by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Fri Oct 23rd, 2009 at 09:07:08 AM EST
[ Parent ]
by Oui (Oui) on Fri Oct 23rd, 2009 at 09:13:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Well we know what Berlusconi would do in similar circumstances, but how will Sarkozy get his revenge?  Surely Jean is too young to get the EU job?

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Fri Oct 23rd, 2009 at 09:22:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]
.
Is Sarkozy losing his grip?

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

"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Fri Oct 23rd, 2009 at 10:05:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Frank Schnittger:
Sarkozy seems to be a key player here.  Anybody got any idea what he will do next?

As I explained here, Sarkozy cannot afford to publicly support Blair -- too many liabilities. But behind the scenes, who knows?

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".

by Bernard (bernard) on Sun Oct 25th, 2009 at 02:17:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Frank was asking about the post of the High Representative (the EU foreign minister that can't be called thus because of... Blair), not the PotEC.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Sun Oct 25th, 2009 at 03:09:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
OK, but the "steal-the-limelight" argument still applies: Sarko just won't be outshone.
by Bernard (bernard) on Mon Oct 26th, 2009 at 11:34:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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