EU Divided on Choice of First President as More Names Appear

636 views · Published 11 November 2009 · 0:32 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: Euractiv · 2009 · News & Politics

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Fredrik Reinfeldt, Prime Minister of Sweden, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, told a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday that there are more and more names being brought forward as candidate for the first-ever permanent president of the European Council. The Swedish EU presidency has called a special summit for next Thursday. Among the names circulated at that of former UK prime minister Tony Blair, Belgian Prime Minister Van Rompuy and Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende. EU leaders next week will also pick a 'foreign minister', formally known as the High Representative of the European Union.

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