EU leaders have chosen the Belgian Prime Minister, Herman van Rompuy, to be the first permanent European Council President, diplomats say.
Welcome to the new European Empire (or perhaps the Revived Roman Empire as some eschatological proponents believe):-
Blair out of race to be EU president
EU leaders have chosen the Belgian Prime Minister, Herman van Rompuy, to be the first permanent European Council President, diplomats say.
The other top job created by the Lisbon Treaty – foreign affairs supremo – will go to the EU Trade Commissioner, Baroness Catherine Ashton from the UK.
Both are seen as low-key consensual politicians.
Earlier, the UK government said it was no longer pushing for former PM Tony Blair to get the presidency post.
Mr Van Rompuy had crucial French and German support. He has a reputation as a coalition builder, having taken charge of the linguistically divided Belgian government and steered it out of a crisis.
A UK government spokesman revealed the dramatic twist in the British position.
The UK persuaded the other six leaders in the socialist group to back the Baroness Ashton, having dropped Tony Blair.
EU leaders met in Brussels to select their first full-time president and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs – new posts created by the Lisbon Treaty, which will come into force on 1 December.
Oh well, at least Tony Blair is not our new Emperor, thank God for small mercies.
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Tags: Politics