EU countries start behind-the-scenes discussions on leadership posts

Climate aid to poor countries remains open

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The upcoming appointments to leadership positions of the European Union dominated the summit of the leaders of EU member states in Brussels on Thursday.
      No decisions were made on who would be the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (the so-called EU Foreign Minister) or the upcoming President of the European Council.
      There was intense lobbying for various candidates in the hallways.
     
Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said on Thursday that the membership negotiations are not agreed upon in advance; they are held as the situation requires.
      Vanhanen said that he would discuss the appointments on Thursday with “a few chosen” EU leaders.
     
The leader of the socialist group in the European Parliament, MEP Martin Schultz, said on Thursday that of the remaining posts, the European socialists are seeking the Foreign Minister’s post.
      Speculation so far has been that the socialists might get the post of EU President, and that the Foreign and Security Policy post would go to the liberals.
     
The centre-right grouping has two top posts - those of the Presidency of the European Commission, and the Speaker of the European Parliament.
      “There are several possible candidates for both President and Foreign Minister. Negotiations with the member states are still open”, said Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, the President of the Party of European Socialists.
     
Finland might lose out if the socialists want the Foreign Minister’s post, and not the Presidency.
      Possible Finnish candidates for Foreign Minister could be Commissioner Olli Rehn of the liberals. Finnish Social Democrats have been seen as possible candidates for EU President. Possible candidates include former Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen, former President Martti Ahtisaari and current President Tarja Halonen.
     
Olli Rehn is certain to be Finland’s representative on the new Commission. Vanhanen says that Finland will later tell the current EU Presidency-holder Sweden who Finland’s candidate to the top posts will be.
      Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt managed to hammer out a compromise over concessions to the Czech Republic on EU fundamental rights. In return, Czech President Václav Klaus agreed to sign the Lisbon Treaty, which is the basis of all of the new leadership positions.
      Sweden also worked to compile an agreement on how much money the EU member states would contribute to poor countries fighting climate change.
      Poland and eight other member states from Central and Eastern Europe insisted that the member states’ ability to pay, and not emissions, should determine how the burden is shared.
     
Prime Minister Vanhanen said that he hoped that the EU leaders would reach agreement on two figures. The first of these is the short-term climate aid to be granted to developing countries in 2010-2012. The Commission has estimated that the need for support is EUR 5-7 billion of which the EU’s share would be EUR 1-2 billion.
      The other figure concerns the goals extending to 2020. According to the Commission, the developing countries need EUR 100 billion annually, of which the EU would pay its “fair share”.
      Environmental groups say that the EU’s spending estimates are far too low.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Decisions on top posts in European Union unlikely to be made this week (27.10.2009)

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