Nations oppose EU president move

THE so-called ‘dwarfs’ of the EU flexed their muscles at the Athens summit yesterday and insisted their opposition to a permanent and single EU president must be heeded.

However, all the union's leaders agreed the EU should have its own foreign minister to represent its views on the world stage. The details of such a role were not clarified.

Eighteen countries including nine of the new members met early yesterday to forge a united front in their opposition to the single presidency plan favoured by the larger nations.