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.

The smaller countries fear swapping the current system where each country holds the presidency for six months for a permanent elected president will hand over power to the bigger nations.

But the larger countries, including Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, said this will not happen and that they represent the vast majority of the EU's population of 375 million.

President of the Convention on the future of Europe Valery Giscard d'Estaing said the two sides were split on the issue and the task now was how to bring about a stable presidency.

Mr Giscard d'Estaing, who has supported the single president idea from the beginning, said the views of the majority of the people would also have to be considered.

Ireland's Minister for European Affairs Dick Roche said: "We are not convinced of the need for a permanent head of the council." Foreign Minister Brian Cowen denied Ireland was willing to change its stance on the single president idea.

"We are not convinced of this idea. There is not a shift in Ireland's position but we have to find some way of coming to a consensus."

The smaller countries are adamant that the power of the commission which is responsible for initiating and enforcing EU law, must be maintained and strengthened. They want to retain the current balance between the member states, the commission and the European Parliament.

The Danes have put forward a compromise proposal that would see a President of the Council who would chair the meetings of EU leaders while the rotating presidency would continue with countries taking it in turns to chair other meetings of ministers such as agriculture, justice and finance.