All the charismatic, well-known, and dynamic personalities like Carl Bildt, Jean-Claude Junker and Tony Blair who could really have promoted the EU in the world were shelved -- too ambitious, too high-profile or simply from the wrong political party. Instead the EU selected two low-profile, uninspiring personalities. Although I am sure both of them are very hard working and nice people, at the same time they are virtually unknown outside of their countries of birth and their selection says a great deal about the EU and its vision for the future.Van Rompuy was selected as Belgian prime minister just over a year ago. He was chosen for his reputation as a peace builder who helped stop Belgium from breaking up. Indeed, being EU president should be an easier job -- and far better paid -- as he will no longer have to deal with the bickering Walloons and Flemish. His new tasks will be much less demanding, involving organizing the bloc’s summits, keeping EU leaders from engaging in unseemly quarrels and representing the bloc on the global stage.
As for Ashton, who is presently European commissioner for trade, she was selected as a seemingly last-minute compromise, and has no foreign policy experience other than what she has picked up through her present job. She has never held a government position and has never been elected. But let’s look on the positive side, at least she’s a woman! Following in Javier Solana’s steps will also be far from easy because everybody loves him. Solana is charming and charismatic as well as being respected across the globe. Through this job and his previous position as secretary-general of NATO he cultivated friends and allies across the world. He will be sorely missed and if Ashton is going to go even half way to filling his shoes she is going to have her work cut out. She could start, as many women before have done, by getting a makeover and re-style so at least she will look reasonably stylish!
However, with these two at the EU helm it would seem that domestic politics will have more importance than international ambitions, as it is highly unlikely that either Van Rompuy or Ashton will be able to dominate the global stage. They will be more like lackeys than leaders. Of course this will be good news for European Commission President Barroso, who may have been worried about being sidelined by the new additions. He should certainly be sleeping easier in his bed now, content in the knowledge that he will continue to have a considerable role on the world stage. At least the world knows who he is. It is also clear that EU member states will continue to remain in charge for the near future with national leaders continuing to be in control and call the shots. Sarkozy and Merkel will remain very much in the driving seat and continue to have considerable influence over the direction of the EU. Furthermore the choice spotlights a newly powerful role of the European parliament. The two biggest groups in the EU assembly -- the centre-right European People’s Party and the centre-left Socialists -- had insisted on a political balance between the two new appointments.
As for how these two new appointments will affect Turkey’s EU membership talks, I doubt very much there will be much impact at all given the process has already been hobbled so much it is virtually at a standstill any way. Furthermore, while Van Rompuy may have declared himself to be opposed to Turkish membership a few years ago, making it very clear that he believed the EU to be a Christian club with no vacancies for any large Muslim states, he is unlikely to repeat such statements but rather toe the EU line on the issue. As he himself has said in the past days, he has no intention of expressing his personal views on any issues.
As for Ashton, Turkey has nothing to fear from her. The UK is loyal to the end when it comes to backing Turkish membership in the EU.
Regrettably it all seems like something of a wasted opportunity given that one of the aims of the new Lisbon Treaty was to give the EU a higher global profile given the EU badly needs a more effective and coherence common foreign policy. Of course I may be passing judgment too early. Perhaps I will be surprised and they will both dazzle. I really hope so, otherwise the world stage will continue to be dominated by the US and Russia, with China and India on their tails and the EU bringing up the rear.
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