Result seen as big success for the British

By Ann Cahill, Europe Correspondent

Friday, November 20, 2009

THE haggling over Europe’s top jobs ended quietly and quickly last night before the European Union’s 27 leaders even got to the main course of their dinner meeting.

The decision was made a short distance away and a few hours before began when British Prime Minister Gordon Brown met seven fellow Socialist prime ministers.

The result was seen as a spectacular success for the British, who had continued to publicly support former prime minister Tony Blair for the post of president, despite it being widely acknowledged that he would not be acceptable to most countries.

They were threatening to block the appointment of the Belgian Prime Minister, Herman Van Rompuy, to the post of president.

Party politics played a major role with the Christian Democrats as the largest group in the Parliament and to which 13 prime ministers belong insisting they wanted the president’s job and supported Mr Van Rompuy.

The second most powerful group, the Socialists, who have been in disarray since losing out in the Parliament elections, had said they wanted the foreign relations post but failed to put forward an acceptable candidate.

Mr Brown got the unanimous agreement of his fellow Socialist prime ministers before the meeting to support his candidate, Cathy Ashton, and cleared the way for the Swedish presidency to put just two names to the summit.

Afterwards the British Prime Minister said while they were unable to secure the job of President for Mr Blair, it would not have suited him as it had been defined as chairperson rather than chief. But they were very happy to take the very senior role of foreign relations high representative.

Asked if he had mentioned the name of Irish contender for the presidents’ post, former taoiseach John Bruton, Taoiseach Brian Cowen said that just two names were put to the meeting.

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Friday, November 20, 2009