Decisions on top posts in European Union unlikely to be made this week
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Olli Rehn
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The current holder of the rotating EU Presidency, Sweden, is trying to initiate negotiations on the new European Commission’s top positions as far as possible at an EU summit that is to begin on Thursday.
”If it turns out that it is sensible to begin the negotiations, they will be launched”, said Cecilia Malmström, Sweden’s Minister for EU Affairs, speaking to Helsingin Sanomat on Monday.
However, it is highly unlikely that the EU summit could be able to make a decision on the names of a new President of the European Union and that of a High Representative for Foreign Affairs as soon as this week.
Moreover, even the distribution of portfolios in the new Commission is likely to remain open.
The delay is attributable to the fact that the Treaty of Lisbon has not yet come into force in the Czech Republic.
The Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic is to report today - Tuesday - when it intends to announce something significant relating to the fate of the Lisbon Treaty.
”It is still possible that the court could make some kind of decision prior to the EU summit”, said Malmström, speaking at a Luxembourg meeting of EU Foreign Ministers on Monday.
Once the Constitutional Court has made its decision, the treaty will have to be signed by Václav Klaus, the President of the Czech Republic.
In exchange for his signature, Klaus demands guarantees that all potential property claims by ethnic Germans, expelled from Czechoslovakia after World War II in an act of collective punishment, would be prevented.
The precise contents and wording of the guarantees remain open, but the aim is to agree on them during the summit.
The special opt-outs demanded by the Czech Republic have delayed the appointments to be made in the EU.
It is possible that Sweden will have to arrange an extra summit in November to conduct negotiations on EU appointments and climate change.
Moreover, the appointments for the new European Commission could well be postponed until December.
While Sweden is tackling the problem with the Czech Republic, the other EU member-states are guessing at where the roulette wheel will stop in the make-up of the new European Commission under José Manuel Barroso.
Finland's Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb (National Coalition Party) advised on Monday that Finns should keep their cool, even though a record number of homegrown candidates have been suggested for the new top positions.
In addition to the old acquaintances, including EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn (Centre), former Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen (SDP), and former President Martti Ahtisaari (SDP), even the name of President Tarja Halonen has been brought up during discussions.
Halonen is one of the few female names being put into the hat among potential candidates for the office of EU President.
”One has to admit that it would be odd to have four leading positions, of which none of them would be held by a lady”, noted Stubb.
Stubb continued by saying that many front-running candidates are bound to be dropped in the final straight, while eventually a person who has not been involved in the ante-post betting could well be chosen.
According to Astrid Thors (Swedish People’s Party), Finland’s Minister for EU Affairs, the upcoming EU summit is also likely to see some vigorous debate on issues connected with climate change.
Nine member-states in Central and Eastern Europe would be eager to discuss the division of support to developing countries on coping with the global climate change. The other member-states are against putting such a topic on the table.
As far as Finland is concerned, it is good that the other member-states are not eager to open a dispute over the calculating of carbon sinks (see earlier article), as it might lead to a formula that is not favourable to Finnish interests, and one that ends up costing the country a lot of money.
”If it turns out that it is sensible to begin the negotiations, they will be launched”, said Cecilia Malmström, Sweden’s Minister for EU Affairs, speaking to Helsingin Sanomat on Monday.
However, it is highly unlikely that the EU summit could be able to make a decision on the names of a new President of the European Union and that of a High Representative for Foreign Affairs as soon as this week.
Moreover, even the distribution of portfolios in the new Commission is likely to remain open.
The delay is attributable to the fact that the Treaty of Lisbon has not yet come into force in the Czech Republic.
The Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic is to report today - Tuesday - when it intends to announce something significant relating to the fate of the Lisbon Treaty.
”It is still possible that the court could make some kind of decision prior to the EU summit”, said Malmström, speaking at a Luxembourg meeting of EU Foreign Ministers on Monday.
Once the Constitutional Court has made its decision, the treaty will have to be signed by Václav Klaus, the President of the Czech Republic.
In exchange for his signature, Klaus demands guarantees that all potential property claims by ethnic Germans, expelled from Czechoslovakia after World War II in an act of collective punishment, would be prevented.
The precise contents and wording of the guarantees remain open, but the aim is to agree on them during the summit.
The special opt-outs demanded by the Czech Republic have delayed the appointments to be made in the EU.
It is possible that Sweden will have to arrange an extra summit in November to conduct negotiations on EU appointments and climate change.
Moreover, the appointments for the new European Commission could well be postponed until December.
While Sweden is tackling the problem with the Czech Republic, the other EU member-states are guessing at where the roulette wheel will stop in the make-up of the new European Commission under José Manuel Barroso.
Finland's Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb (National Coalition Party) advised on Monday that Finns should keep their cool, even though a record number of homegrown candidates have been suggested for the new top positions.
In addition to the old acquaintances, including EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn (Centre), former Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen (SDP), and former President Martti Ahtisaari (SDP), even the name of President Tarja Halonen has been brought up during discussions.
Halonen is one of the few female names being put into the hat among potential candidates for the office of EU President.
”One has to admit that it would be odd to have four leading positions, of which none of them would be held by a lady”, noted Stubb.
Stubb continued by saying that many front-running candidates are bound to be dropped in the final straight, while eventually a person who has not been involved in the ante-post betting could well be chosen.
According to Astrid Thors (Swedish People’s Party), Finland’s Minister for EU Affairs, the upcoming EU summit is also likely to see some vigorous debate on issues connected with climate change.
Nine member-states in Central and Eastern Europe would be eager to discuss the division of support to developing countries on coping with the global climate change. The other member-states are against putting such a topic on the table.
As far as Finland is concerned, it is good that the other member-states are not eager to open a dispute over the calculating of carbon sinks (see earlier article), as it might lead to a formula that is not favourable to Finnish interests, and one that ends up costing the country a lot of money.
Helsingin Sanomat