Sweden pins hopes on summit to assign top EU jobs

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-11-19 21:46

BRUSSELS: Sweden will seek last-minute compromises among the European Union's 27 member states on Thursday to appoint a president and foreign affairs chief, roles designed to raise the bloc's profile on the world stage.

After almost two full rounds of consultations with the bloc's leaders, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has yet to find candidates who have unanimous backing for the posts, revealing political and geographical divisions among EU states.

Reinfeldt, whose country holds the EU presidency, is now hoping heads of state and government will set aside vested interests and agree on names at a summit in Brussels, which is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. (1700 GMT) and last three hours but could go on much longer.

At least six names are being mentioned by diplomats for the president's job, and a similar number for high representative for foreign affairs.

Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, barely known on the world stage, has emerged as a compromise candidate for president. There is no firm favourite for the foreign affairs job although two former Italian prime ministers, Massimo D'Alema and Giuliano Amato, are frequently mentioned.

Failure to secure a consensus would highlight disunity in the bloc and could undermine the central aim of filling the jobs -- to help the EU pull its weight in global affairs.

"I need, of course, the collaboration of my colleagues to try to get this through tomorrow night," Reinfeldt said on Wednesday before a final round of telephone negotiations.

The Swedish prime minister was expected to speak to the media again on arrival for the summit at about 5 p.m. (1600 GMT).

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose positions will be crucial in reaching a decision, were due to hold a joint news conference at 5:30 p.m. (1630 GMT) with Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen on December's climate change talks in Copenhagen.

The French and German leaders have said they will back the the same candidates. Belgian media have said both support Van Rompuy for president and will insist on key financial portfolios in the new EU executive.

DIPLOMATIC CORPS

The jobs are being filled after ratification this month of the Lisbon reform treaty, which created the presidency role and gave the high representative for foreign affairs more power. It comes into force on December 1 and should ease decision-making.

The treaty will create an EU diplomatic corps, the External Action Service, which will have embassies worldwide.

Reinfeldt said the appointments could come down to a vote if no consensus were reached.

"Do we get these new figures tomorrow night?" he asked at a news conference in Stockholm on Wednesday. "Well, I don't know. It might take a few hours, it might take all night."

Diplomats say Sweden has taken the precaution of ordering breakfast and lunch on Friday for those attending the summit, acknowledging it could run over time.

The difficulty for Sweden is securing a deal that satisfies all member states -- large and small, northern and southern European, those that are centre-right or centre-left -- while reflecting the wishes of the European Parliament.

One challenge will be negotiating with France and Germany and with Britain, which is touting former Prime Minister Tony Blair for president and does not appear to want to compromise.

In Europe's financial capital, London, many fear that a Frenchman in charge of financial services at the European Commission could spell further tough rules for banks and others at a time when they already face a major regulatory overhaul.

In seeking balance, leaders are expected to opt for a centre-right president and a centre-left foreign affairs chief.

An EU diplomat said Socialist governments argued the foreign affairs head should come from a state with a governing socialist party or part of a ruling coalition, narrowing the field to Britain, Spain, Greece, the Netherlands, Austria or Slovenia.

Despite calls for a woman to have one of the top jobs, none were believed to be among the front-runners.

Countries outside the bloc are bemused by a process that EU diplomats themselves say is likely to result in the appointment of a president who is a compromise candidate, little known outside Europe and a lightweight in global terms.