In a meeting this afternoon ahead of the European summit, the Prime Ministers of the Party of European Socialists appointed a troika consisting of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Werner Faymann and Poul Nyrup Rasmussen to negotiate the position of President of the Council or the position of High Representative on behalf of the PES Prime Ministers.

Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, President of the Party of European Socialists, said: Today the PES Prime Ministers agreed to speak and negotiate with a strong, common voice to maximise our influence to hold one of the two key EU posts. This sturdy co-ordination will help us to find the right person to represent our values.

The PES Prime Ministers also discussed the upcoming climate change negotiations in Copenhagen. Additionally, they rejected calls for an early exit strategy from stimulus packages and agreed instead on the need for an entry strategy into the labour market. (less info)