France and Germany make early moves for Europe’s foreign minister - by Charles Bremmer and Roger Boyes
France and Germany have begun jockeying for the top slots in the new-look Brussels, with each aiming to land the powerful new post of Europe’s foreign minister. The “High Representative” for foreign and security policy is expected to have more clout than the new permanent president and is almost certain to come from the opposite political camp. French and German officials have begun consultations for a common stand on the new posts created by the Lisbon treaty. President Sarkozy wants decisions on personnel to be made at this month’s European summit, but Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, is still negotiating a new coalition Government with her Free Democrat partners and wants more time.
Since Tony Blair is the favourite to become president, although his lead is narrow, France and Germany believe that they should have first say over the foreign policy appointment. Mr Blair is especially unpopular in the European Parliament because of Britain’s Eurosceptic record and his role in the Iraq war. His rivals for the post include Paavo Lipponen, a former Prime Minister of Finland, Felipe González, the former Spanish Socialist Prime Minister, and Mary Robinson, the former Irish President.
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