http://timesofearth.com/Worldnews/?NT=0&nid=13802 BRUSSELS - Herman Van Rompuy, Belgium's prime minister, has become the first president of the European Council.
Van Rompuy, largely unknown outside his native Belgium, was named after a consensus was reached at a meeting of the leaders of the 27-member European Union on Thursday.
"I did not seek this high position, I didn't make any steps to achieve it, but from tonight I take on this task with conviction and enthusiasm," Van Rompuy told a news conference.
The meeting also agreed to back the candidacy of Catherine Ashton, the British EU trade commissioner, for the foreign policy role.
Britain dropped its bid to to get Tony Blair, the former UK prime minister, appointed to the presidency earlier in the day after it became clear that centre-right countries, who dominate the EU, were determined that the role should go to someone from their group.
"When it became clear that because of the various political considerations and varying views among the rest of the members, then the prime minister made the forceful step of proposing Catherine Ashton for the high representative's position," a spokesman for Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, said.
Thursday's debate over the appointments had focused over what role the president of the European Council should play, with many arguing that the role should go to a technocrat who can build unity and consensus.
The Lisbon Treaty which created the new post was vague on its powers and obligations, saying simply that the president should "drive forward" the EU's work.
"The Lisbon Treaty wanted to instill greater continuity and coherence into the European Council of Heads of State and Government," Van Rompuy said.
"Six-monthly [rotating] presidencies had the advantage of involving all 27 member states in the work of the Union. The disadvantage was a lack of perspective, it is my firm intention to ensure that our work develops over a long-term period."
Van Rompuy will serve a two-and-a-half year term, which is renewable once.
Glyn Ford, a former Labour member of the European parliament, told AFP News Agency that building a political presence in Europe was one of the challenges a new president would face.
"Europe is bigger than the United States, its richer than the United States, it gives more to the developing world than the United States by far. But we don't actually have the political presence," he said.
"Now how do you develop that political presence?"
Van Rompuy told the news conference that he recognised that Europe faced sizeable challenges, including the financial crisis and climate change, and emphasised his credentials as a consensus-builder.
"As I am concerned every nation should emerge victorious from negotiations. A negotiation that ends with a defeated party is never a good negotiation," he said
"As president-elect of the council I will listen carefully to everyone and I will ensure that our deliberations turn into results for everyone."
Marco Incerti, a research fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies, told AFP news agency that the appointments marked a missed opportunity for the European Union.
"Because it had been known for some time that Mr Van Rompuy would be appointed as president of the European Council people were hoping that for the foreign minister job we would get somebody a bit better known," he said.
"There is nothing wrong with Catherine Ashton herself, but she lacks international experience.
"For a post like that of foreign minister of the European Union having been in a comparable job for some time, having built networks ... could have been useful.
"I think there were many names on the shortlist that fitted the job description a bit better and I am afraid that this is one more case in which horse-trading has prevailed. It was matter of giving the position to a Socialist in turn of the president of the council to the centre-right."
Ashton, who has a reputation as an effective negotiator in Brussels, revealed her surprise at being appointed when she told the news conference that she had no prepared speech, but also asked people to wait to see how she performs.
"Judge me on what I do and I think you will be pleased and proud of me," she said.
Leila Talani, a lecturer on European politics at King's College London, said that the appointments showed the power of the European Union's big nations.
'The European Council is an intergovernmental institution and it is governed by the most powerful members states ... the most powerful are France and Germany, and to a certain extent the UK.
"I would consider it [the UK] one of the winners of these negotiations as they have got perhaps the most important position with the foreign minister."
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Where is Human right in Europe. Free of speech. Nazi Europe always oppose Minority groups like Jews , Muslims etc. Europe always promote freedom of express by means of clothing , speech. Europe now think they become elephant. It will be the biggest mistake to think like this way.
MonsterIsrael 1 year ago
Fuck Herman Van Rompuy. He is on the payroll of the international banking cabal, regular visitor of Bildeberg group meetings. Just a few days after Lisbon Treaty is signed and look at the crooks - secretly ploting behind closed doors. We are Europe of sovereign nations.
SvrchovaneCechy 2 years ago
and what does looks and image have to do with politics??? =.='
Guyverhoeven 2 years ago
Well he looks like a pervert janitor or something, he looks the type who would spy on girls changing through a homemade spyhole or something.
ChrisGS1982 2 years ago
What a clown! Go to hell! There can never be unity while you steal our democratic rights away from us. Stand for election instead of hiding behind closed doors. Never forget that these same people ignored the democratic results in France, Netherlands and Ireland, and denied everyone else a vote altogether. SHAME SHAME SHAME.
will3205 2 years ago
whether this new guy is gonna be any better than tony remains to be seen..........
thanks for posting this
peace
psychodrilla 2 years ago