Power struggles within EU continue and now it’s payback time

BRUSSELS has become a ghost town as governments and the EU institutions have departed on holiday.

But despite the eerie hush around Schuman, the power struggles within the European Union continue, promising to make it a cool and excruciating summer for some.

The big states are positioning themselves to ensure they get the important roles they want within the European Commission; Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso tries to keep the job for a second five years while the European Parliament pursues its own agenda.