Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) says that Finland does not have possibilities of getting the post of Foreign Minister of the European Union.
Vanhanen and the Finnish government have eyed up Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn for the post. On Saturday, however, Vanhanen said in an interview with the regional newspaper Itä-Savo that “in this division we are not getting spots for the two top posts of the EU”.
Vanhanen’s blunt comment effectively means that he feels that Finland does not have any chance of securing the post of EU President. The opposition Social Democratic Party is promoting former Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen for the position.
This week SDP chairwoman Jutta Urpilainen will work to promote Lipponen to socialist-led governments in the EU - all seven of them.
“If the Presidency of the Commission had been with the socialists, Rehn’s chances as the High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy would have been better”, Vanhanen said.
Vanhanen has now started simply lobbying for “a weighty portfolio”.
“The portfolio could be in economics or foreign relations. The portfolio is not a matter of negotiations, as it is decided by the Commission President”, he noted.
Vanhanen has been taking a fairly realistic view of the matter. With Finland debating high EU posts, he has said in public that this has been largely domestic political theatre, which is why so many Finnish politicians have been mentioned as potential candidates.
