Polish leader backs Taoiseach for position of EU president

POLAND became the first country yesterday to publicly give its support to the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern for the post of EU president.

Mr Ahern has been coy about his ambition for the job that would become available once the Lisbon Treaty is ratified, saying on the one hand he had not thought about it and, on the other, that he would not need to make a decision on it until it arose.

But when Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was asked if he would support Mr Ahern for the job if he wanted it, the reply was positive. “For Poland and the Poles, and for my part, if the Taoiseach of Ireland had such an idea and intention the approach of the poles would be most obviously and certainly favourable,” he said.