There is new speculation on the President… According to ORF Sarkozy is bringing ex-Spanish PM Felipe Gonzalez into the game. At the same time Austrian daily Standard writes that German diplomates from the Merkel circles are increasingly supporting former Austrian PM Schüssel for the post because Juncker’s demands for a big staff cannot be met.
Archive for May, 2008
Sarkozy nor for Felipe Gonzalez, Merkel for Schüssel?
Monday, May 26th, 2008Wallström strengthens efforts to get women in the top jobs
Friday, May 23rd, 2008Commission Vice President Margot Wallström seems to be leading a one person campaign to get a woman to be chosen for one of the top 3 jobs up for grabs in 2009 in the EU – President of the European Council, President of the European Commission and EU Foreign Minister. She has written in Le Monde this week about the issue and the issue is followed up by Mark Mardell and The Economist. This is not a new idea from Wallström (we posted about it in February) but none of her suggested candidates have yet been mentioned on the rumour mill.
Wallström faces 3 problems in her efforts to get a woman into one of the top three positions. First of all the list of possible candidates is not that long – most national governments, and especially those of the largest 4 Member States, remain dominated by men. Merkel is the main exception to this, but her government is not exactly bursting with other women. Secondly, the debate about the top jobs is being conducted between national capitals rather than in an open and frank manner – so whatever Wallström says I fear no-one is listening. Thirdly, Blair (and possibly also Juncker, Rasmussen and Ahern, and Barroso for the Commission) have actively been making signs that they are interested in the top positions. Wallström categorically rules herself out and there is no woman as yet making an effort to get news about their candidacy out in the open.
Polly Toynbee, writing in e!Sharp magazine [PDF], thinks Wallström herself should go for it…
More MEPs writing about whodoicall.eu
Monday, May 19th, 2008
A couple more MEPs have entered the debate about the future Presidency arrangements for the EU.
Dutch Green MEP Kathalijne Buitenweg writes a detailed blog post about whodoicall.eu (in Dutch only) and from this rather strange machine translation it’s clear that Buitenweg agrees with many of the points we raise here at whodoicall.eu
Why does the EU have two presidents? That nobody understands. The risk is great that the two office-holders in each other’s waters sit down, because they are both as president of Europe.
Somewhat strange translation of the Dutch saying ‘de twee ambtsdragers in elkaars vaarwater gaan zitten’ but you get the idea.
Richard Corbett has also linked here from his blog, although he does not explicitly state that he backs our ideas… Still we’re very glad for a link! Both MEPs’ sites have also now been added to our sidebar links.
Juncker to be European Council president
Monday, May 19th, 2008According to Welt am Sonntag from yesterday a package deal (s. my blog and more from Jon’s blog about the Miliband aspect) has been reached for the EU top posts. Jean-Claude Juncker will become president of the European Council while the job as EU foreign minister is given to David Miliband, current UK foreign minister.
Now the eternal front-runner Juncker will finally get what he was going to get right from the start. What remains to be seen is, however, when he will take up his job. Will it alreay be in January or will it be postponed until after the EP elections and in parallel to the start of the new Commission in November 2009?
A number of influential MEPs have already suggested that just one member state might delay the formal ratification (e.g. the German president by postponing his signature) so that the new setting will only be effective for the second half of 2009.
President to be discussed at June European summit
Thursday, May 8th, 2008The Financial Times writes yesterday that the personnel portfolio including ideas for the president of the European Council will be on the agenda of the European summit 19-20 June.