Cox's chances of taking top EC post fade

PAT COX'S chances of becoming the next president of the European Commission are fading as EU chiefs indicate they would prefer a former prime minister in the job.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has six more states to visit as he consults prime ministers on the commission job and on the EU constitution.

His discussions have been brief in his whistle-stop tour of 18 capitals, with his colleagues giving him a clear picture of what they believe the next commission president should be like.