Ahern scores hat-trick with EU chief deal

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.

After a week of intensive diplomacy with fellow EU leaders, Mr Ahern, in virtually his last act as president of the European Council of Ministers, will propose Portuguese Prime Minister José Manuel Durao Barroso as Romano Prodi's successor at a special meeting of EU leaders in Brussels tomorrow.

Although Mr Ahern said yesterday there was overwhelming support for the veteran centre-right Portuguese politician, the backing for Mr Barroso came only after France and Spain dropped their objections to his nomination over his support for the war in Iraq.

Announcing his decision in a statement yesterday afternoon, Mr Ahern said: "Over the last number of days I have been consulting extensively with colleagues and I am very pleased to be able to confirm that there is overwhelming support for the appointment of Mr Barroso as president of the commission."

He said he had spoken to Mr Barroso on Saturday night after consulting with the other 23 European leaders before and immediately after the successful EU-US summit in Dromoland.

During an intensive round of telephone calls, Mr Ahern spoke to about half of the leaders before US President George W Bush arrived on Friday night and the remainder immediately after the summit concluded on Saturday afternoon.

On Saturday night, Mr Ahern telephoned Mr Barroso to inform him of the widespread support for his nomination and to ask him to accept the position.

The protracted agreement will be seen as another success for Mr Ahern, who won the respect of other EU leaders after he delivered on his promise to finalise a deal on a new EU constitution. Many commentators felt the success of Mr Bush's visit for last week's EU summit was Mr Ahern's finest hour.

Mr Barroso had already consulted with his country's president and colleagues earlier in the weekend, after receiving an indication he would be offered the job.

Mr Barroso's name emerged as a consensus candidate once the early front-runners, Britain's EU Commissioner Chris Patten and Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt had been blocked by the French and the British respectively at the Council of Ministers' summit the previous weekend.

"It is a great tribute to the prime minister and to Portugal that colleagues have expressed such support for him and wish to see him accept this appointment," said Mr Ahern yesterday.

"Members of the council have urged him to do so and I am hopeful that he can respond positively."

Among those expressing strong support for his candidacy was German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. The Portugese prime minister, he said, could "count on Germany's support".

In Ireland, attention will begin to focus on whom Mr Ahern nominates as the new Irish commissioner.

Last week, Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy ruled himself out firmly.