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February 13, 2012
Sweden reaches deal over top EU positions
Published: 20 Nov 09 06:13 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/23374/20091120/
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has announced that Belgian Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy will be the first permanent President of the European Council following negotiations in Brussels on Thursday evening.
- Reinfeldt pushes for consensus on EU leader (19 Nov 09)
- Bildt fears insipid EU top job compromise (19 Nov 09)
- Malmström Sweden's new EU commissioner (17 Nov 09)
Both candidates received backing from all 27 EU countries for the positions creating by the Lisbon Treaty.
The talks were coordinated by Sweden in its is role as head of the rotating EU Presidency over a working dinner attended by heads of state and government.
"We are convinced that Herman Van Rompuy is the right man to lead the European Council in the right way," Reinfeldt said after the summit meeting.
The Swedish Prime Minister was given a Rubik's cube by European Commissioner José Manuel Barrosso as a memento and recognition of negotiating the positions after weeks of politicial wrangling.
The two candidates were largely overlooked in the run up to the announcement, which has been met with a level of surprise by commentators over their limited experience in foreign affairs.
After backing Tony Blair for the EU president role, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a last-minute decision on Thursday in nominating centre-left Baroness Ashton, who has been in her position as EU Commissioner responsible for trade for less than 12 months.
However, Christian Democrat leader Van Rompuy had come to the forefront as a possible candidate over the last few days.
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He managed the difficult situation like a pro. Both jobs are without that much real power, calling therefore for people who can go along, and get along with others. The last thing they needed was alleged stars like Blair and Miliband.
Let's hope Reinfeldt keeps close to the new leadership in case he had to deal with more problems about Europe, especially from the spoiled, ambiguous Brits!
I do hope that the president won't always be essentially an organizer and note taker for meetings, but instead will eventually become a democratically elected post which carries real political power and clout.
How elections would work I have no idea, because the smaller countries wouldn't agree to a popular vote, and the larger countries most certainly won't cede any of the political power they currently have.
Wow, this is beginning to remind me of something. There's a republic that was similar to this in the beginning....
Ashton is a Blair puppet. We don´t need her in Europe, let alone in a senior position in Europe.
As Carl Bildt remarked earlier in the week, the last thing Europe needs at this point is an insipid choice for its first President and Foreign Minister. This is an historic opportunity to make a statement about the seriousness of Europe and the part it wants on the world stage. Judging from this, it wants no place at all. Consider the historic opportunity squandered.
But aren't these two just perfect? If Herman and "Lady" Ashton don't take the prize for no-credibility, no one does. Remember, Europe is preening forward about an UNELECTED President. Is everybody comfortable with that? Wake me up when Europe is ready to get serious. I think that's the way it will be greeted on the world stage, whilst each and every little patch of Europe, like Sweden, will continue to represent itself. OR....Raise your hand if you're ready for President van Rompuy and his foreign minister to speak for Sweden.
Now THAT'S entertainment!
They were doing the same thing hundreds of years ago in Odessa until Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev figured out what they were doing and kicked them out of Russia.
A early example of the method they used to take power is Filiki Eteria in Greece 1814.
They don't fight the normal way, that is why they have been assassinating the good polititions of Sweden like Anna Lindh to make room for their polititions.Their polititions look likes Swedes but secretly work for another group.
They have been active in Swede for over hundred years, they just don't want you to know that they exist!
Once you realize that this group really does exist then it is easy to figure out who the players are.
The place they made land fall in Sweden hundreds of years ago was Gothenburg!
And Carl Bildt is the last guy to quote about anything regarding the EU. He almost bankrupted Sweden while statsminister by its joining the European Monetary Mechanism, as I recall.
Bidlt is just a bull in a china shop when it comes to most matters. He's a wonderful drum-major for most aggressive concerns, especially if it's on Washington's agenda, but hardly ever ends up with anything positive.
A president who can merely represent himself, being the expression of a country that does not count anything in Europe, and, most of all, a foreign ministry that has never had similar roles in the past, with very little international political experience, expression of a country that is much closer in terms of foreign policy to US than to UE and, finally, that will loose her government support in a few months when the anti-EU tories will take the lead in UK. Very very low profile choices. EU reputation compromised probably forever!
Nothing to celebrate about for people, like me, that still think that Europe should be united to face the most challenging issues of the future.
Very sad day!
presiden rompuy! who??
foreign affairs ashton! who??
If you don´t like the EU, I suggest you goto flysas.com and book a flight out of Europe.
Then you can be as anti-European as you want.
Well our presidency is quite eventful..
Yesterday, I believe that who is against a strong living EU has had the biggest victory they could imagine. Totally irrelevant people in key positions will mean that every country will do its politics without caring too much about EU.
Get real! This was a Franco-Prussian stitch up job from the start. Mr Rompuy will never be known as Mr President; he'll be known as Mr Rumpy (or worse!). In the UK he'll be ignored or the subject of tabloid abuse. I don't think Swedes understand the full loathing of the EU in this country, it follows from the conspiracy of the politicians to keep the voters away from all things European. This "Treaty" is undemocratic, it has been forced on people despite there being referenda against it and now we have the ridiculous spectacle of an unelected member of the House of Lords (for heavens sake!) being made Mrs High & mighty. Well you might call that leadership; I call it a foulness that defies belief.