Discussions are underway among officials as to the allocation of jobs in the European Union among the various party alliances. According to the Finnish News Agency, STT, Finland’s Prime Minister, Matti Vanhanen, announced on Monday that he would represent the Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the upcoming negotiations.
Not only is Mr Vanhanen the Prime Minister, he is also the chairman of the Centre party of Finland. At a recent news conference held in a ski resort, he said that key EU posts should be divided in a politically balanced manner.
While posts and parties have been discussed, according to the Prime Minister, specific names have not yet come under discussion.
“My assignment does not prevent the proposal of Finnish names,” Mr Vanhanen said.
Three posts in particular are the subject of much discussion. If the Lisbon treaty is ratified by all members of the EU, then next year will see the creation of a new President of the European Union as well as a foreign policy high representative and a chief for the European Commission.
The creation of the posts depends upon the ratification of the treaty. “One of the turning points of the EU’s history lies ahead,” Mr Vanhanen said.
The European Economic Community, now the European Community and the future European Union, has had a president since Walter Hallstein.
The European Council elects its own president in case the Lisbon Treaty enters into force.
Since the Commission president will be elected taking into account the European Parliament election results in 2009, it would add to the democratic legitimacy of the EU to let the Commission president chair the meetings of the European Council.