SEVERAL SMALL and medium-sized EU states are lobbying to restrict the role of the new president of the European Council created by the Lisbon Treaty.
The diplomatic manoeuvre is being interpreted in Brussels as a “stop Tony Blair” campaign by countries fearful that a powerful new president could upset the delicate balance of power between the main EU institutions.
Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg circulated a paper to EU states yesterday that insists on the need to “guarantee the maintenance of the community method and the institutional balance of the union that have been the basis of the success of European integration” under the Lisbon Treaty.
The “community method” refers to the normal working method of the union, which involves the European Commission, European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. There is a fear that a powerful president of the council could undermine the commission and boost the power of big member states.
EU ambassadors began detailed talks yesterday to draw up the rules of procedure that will define the role and responsibility of the new president of the European Council, a more powerful high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, and the new European external action service.
Big member states such as France and Italy want a powerful president of the European Council to help establish the EU as a major world power. But smaller states such as Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg would prefer a lower profile president, acting as a council chairman.
The Benelux proposal says the existing rotating six-month presidency should continue to play a primary role in helping to ensure the coherence of the union’s policies. It sets out a minimalist role for the new council president.
The person appointed to the new role must have the stature of a head of state or government and have “demonstrated his commitment to the European project and has developed a global vision of the union’s policies”. The paper says the council president should represent the EU abroad but also adds the caveat “without prejudice to the prerogatives of the high representative”. It also stipulates that member states represented at the General Affairs Council should continue to prepare the meetings of the European Council. The rotating six-month presidency of the EU shall report at the start of the quarterly meeting of EU leaders, says the paper.
The bookies’ favourite to become the first council president is former British prime minister Tony Blair, who is attracting odds of 6/4. Sources close to Mr Blair have said he would be interested in the job but only if it came with real powers. Other possible candidates include Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende, former Spanish prime minister Felipe González and Luxembourg prime minister Jean-Claude Junker.