Battle for glory and a seat at the table dominate summit

EUROPE’s leaders may have set themselves the goal of solving the world’s economic and environmental problems last week, but everybody has their own problems.

Before the EU summit on Wednesday, word got out that there was a battle between the prime minister Donald Tusk and the president of Poland for the two places allotted to each member state around the EU table. President Lech Kaczynski and his twin brother, Jaroslaw, were the terrible twins that ruled Poland for the past few years. The new prime minister is an urbane, mild-mannered man who represents the modern face of Poland. But even he got caught up in the circus this time.

He refused to give a lift to the president in the state jet and said he would send it back for him. But anxious not to be left out, the furious president leased his own jet for the day and arrived in time to claim the second Polish seat at the table where both men ignored one another.