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.