Ireland rejects proposals for a president of Europe
Mr Cowen said suggestions that an overall European president could be appointed by the member governments or even directly elected by
its citizens were not acceptable.
In a speech outlining government views on current negotiations for EU organisational change as part of the expansion from 15 to 27 member states, he said Ireland had tabled its own plans on the selection of the president of the policy-guiding European Commission.
The minister said Ireland envisaged that a select group of national parliament members and MEPs could form an electoral college which would choose the head of the Brussels executive. He told the independent think-tank, the Institute of European Affairs, that whatever EU changes were agreed would have to last quite some time as citizens were weary of continual alterations to an area which was complex and seemed remote from their lives.
The minister said the world was changing dramatically with the USA now the only global super-power; Russia refashioning its role in world affairs; and China increasingly determined to take its place on the world stage. He said Ireland must stick with the EU which in turn had to become a force for conflict resolution, third world development and human rights.
Mr Cowen said Ireland was prepared to look at various proposals for structural changes and wanted to see a strong EU Commission. However, he rejected the idea of an over-arching European president to give the EU more political clout in world affairs.
It is not clear that a lack of coherence on the global stage results from the absence of a single figurehead, Mr Cowen said.
Mr Cowen also paid tribute to the former Fine Gael TD, Alan Dukes, who is the new head of the Institute of European Affairs which hosted last night’s address, an annual event for the foreign affairs minister. Mr Cowen described Mr Dukes as an adversary in domestic politics, but a long-time ally on EU issues.
