THE winner of the race to become Ireland’s EU Commissioner may be officially declared at the Galway Races.

The Irish Presidency of the European Union successfully implemented an ambitious programme of work with vigour and vision, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said today.

ALL 25 leaders of the EU gave their unanimous support to the Portuguese Prime Minister’s nomination as the next President of the commission.

POLITICS is often described as the art of the possible. But when it comes to EU politics there is very little art involved as it seems that anything is possible.

The acceptance by Portuguese prime minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso of the post of EU Commission president was the final plaudit for Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at the end of an extraordinarily successful presidency of the EU.

EU leaders are expected to approve the appointment of Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso as the new president of the European Commission tonight.

Portuguese Prime Minister and European Commission presidential nominee José Manuel Durao Barroso, 48, began his political life as a leader of the Maoist movement in Lisbon University in the lead-up to the revolution that ended the country’s dictatorship in 1974.

Political Editor Harry McGee says after our successful presidency, thoughts now turn to domestic affairs.

IN what has been hailed as a hat-trick of successes, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday brokered an agreement on the candidate to fill the pivotal role of president of the European Commission.

Europe’s leaders will meet in Brussels for dinner next week on the way back from the NATO summit in Istanbul – but only if there is a consensus by then on who should be the next president of the European Commission.

EUROPE'S leaders buried their differences just long enough to agree a constitution last night, but failed to agree on the important post of commission president.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair was flying into Tripoli today for controversial talks with Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.