Presidency handover – Ahern seals triumphant EU reign

The acceptance by Portuguese prime minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso of the post of EU Commission president was the final plaudit for Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at the end of an extraordinarily successful presidency of the EU.

Mr Barroso was Mr Ahern’s choice for the pivotal role in European affairs and was confirmed as the successor to Romani Prodi yesterday at a summit called by the Taoiseach, which was Ireland’s valediction to the EU presidency.

As Ireland hands over the reins to the Dutch, Mr Ahern can reflect on the past six months as a personal triumph, and a matter of national pride for the country insofar as influencing the future direction of an enlarged Europe.

It is a transitional period for the Continent on a number of fronts, with an enlarged membership, a new European Parliament, a new European Commission in November, and an historic constitution to debate in the months ahead.

Last May, there were 15 member states with a total of 380 million citizens. At a memorable ceremony in Dublin in May, ten more countries, mainly from central and Eastern Europe, were admitted, with Bulgaria and Romania likely to join in 2007, which will see the EU population expand to nearly 500 million.

Ireland’s presidency was epitomised by a skilful ability to moderate seemingly implacable European vested interests, as leaders initially resisted compromise in order to maximise political ideologies.

Mr Ahern and Foreign Minister Brian Cowen used their consummate negotiating skills and diplomacy to weave agreement from reluctant leaders, splintered by their positions on the war in Iraq, on the controversial EU constitution and the contentious question of a new Commission president.

Having achieved agreement on the former, and with the second issue yet to be resolved, Mr Ahern hosted a EU-US summit in Dromoland Castle which was attended by President George W Bush.

In the course of that meeting, amid the biggest security operation ever mounted in the State, the US and the EU pledged strong support to the new Iraqi government and both sides agreed to set their disagreements on Iraq aside.

After the Dromoland summit, which also covered trans-atlantic trade issues and other international questions, Mr Ahern said the summit reaffirmed the strength, depth and significance of the trans-Atlantic relationship, which he said was “based on a common set of democratic values”.

Altogether, Irish cogency and influence in consolidating internal European relations and facilitating the path for rapprochement with the US was acclaimed for the adroitness with which it effected both objectives.

While the Irish presidency of the EU is over, European matters will still occupy some of Mr Ahern’s time over the next week or two, in the shape of the country’s next EU Commissioner.

Given the quid-pro-quo nature of politics, Ireland should be entitled to expect an influential portfolio in recognition of its exemplary performance over the last six months. Despite that, it would be surprising if one the economic posts should be allocated to Ireland, and the influential agriculture portfolio is one that would be welcomed.