Herman who?
Herman who? The world greets new EU President
Muted reaction suggests global community would have preferred Blair, reports John Lichfield
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REUTERS
The new EU President, Herman van Rompuy, smiles as he leaves his office after a meeting in Brussels yesterday
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Limp waves of polite puzzlement circled the globe yesterday as leaders adjusted to the news that the much ballyhooed EU President would be a mild-mannered, competent manager rather than a charismatic new "face" for Europe.
The US President, Barack Obama, said that he "looked forward to working closely" with both the new European Council President, Herman van Rompuy, and the EU's first foreign minister, Baroness Ashton. He said the "two new positions" would make the European Union an "even stronger partner to the United States".
It was noticeable, however, that President Obama also declared that he intended to "work closely" with the European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso – a tacit recognition that there had been no real landslip in power and influence in Brussels.
The Japanese government welcomed the fact that there had been "progress on the new EU structure" but said that it had "no view" on the new appointments. Off the record, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo said that the appointment of Tony Blair, would have been "interesting" because he was much better known in Japan.
Russia, China and India had no comment at all. The appointments received no space or air time in the Indian media.
The Europe spokesman for the pro-European, British foreign affairs think-tank, Chatham House, said that the new appointments were "boring" and "the dampest of squibs". Richard Whitman, associate fellow for Europe, said: "In Beijing, Moscow and Washington policy-makers and analysts will be hard pressed to discern anything from these appointments. Neither seems to signal any clear intent for a new direction and character for the EU or the future direction of its foreign policy."
It had been clear for several days that EU heads of government would opt for a conciliator and fixer for their first European Council President – a permanent chairman for the permanent state of negotiations which exists between EU states in Brussels. News media around the globe have, nonetheless, got into the habit of referring to the job wrongly as the "President of Europe" – as if the new incumbent would be a leader and policy-maker like President Obama.
What began as an exercise in "clarifying" the EU and giving it a more human face has therefore ended by confusing Europeans and non-Europeans alike. The head-scratching reaction of print and broadcast media across the 27 EU states can be fairly summarised by a headline on the website of the German magazine, Der Spiegel: "Europe goes for nobodies".
The man who created the idea of a "European President", the former French president, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, took a philosophical view yesterday. He said that EU leaders had "not chosen a George Washington", who would have tried to make the job into something truly significant. Instead, they had gone for a President who would be "one of them rather than above them". He suggested, however, that the post might develop in the future into "something much stronger".
According to a snap, EU-wide opinion poll, European citizens were non-plussed by, but largely indifferent to, the choice of Mr Van Rompuy. The international polling agency Proximity Panels, said that Mr Van Rompuy's name rang a bell with only one in eight Europeans compared to seven in 10 for Mr Blair. One in three EU citizens would have favoured Mr Blair for "President of Europe", compared to one in 20 for Mr Van Rompuy.
The sense of anti-climax at Mr Van Rompuy's appointment has been re-inforced by the choice of the little known British European commissioner, Lady Ashton, to be the High Representative for Foreign Affairs.
Newspapers around Europe welcomed the appointment of a woman to a top EU job but said that she had been chosen because she was British, female and left wing, rather than because of any evident qualifications or qualities.
Lady Ashton, 53, begged to disagree. Having been EU Trade Commissioner for the past 18 months, she said: "I am very familiar with all the key issues ... Because economic relationships are so critical and so vital in these big [country] relationships ... I feel I have a good underpinning, a good understanding of the kind of relationships we need with those big countries and others in the future."
Mr Van Rompuy, 62, kept a low profile yesterday, making no public comments about his appointment.
On Thursday night, he was teased about the celebrated remark of the former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger in the 1970s: "Who do I call if I want to call Europe?" Mr Van Rompuy, who officially takes office on 1 January, said: "I'm anxiously awaiting the first phone call."
Ode to Van Rompuy: Readers’ tributes
*Japanese newspaper editors preparing to introduce the new EU President to their readers were last night thanking the Shinto gods for his penchant for haiku, which adds much-needed colour to an otherwise low-key political career.
"His haiku-writing will help give our readers a sense of familiarity with him, and fix him in the public mind," said a top political writer for Japan's best-selling newspaper, the Yomiuri. "It really helps his profile."
The Independent last week challenged its readers to compose their own pithy poems with an EU flavour. Here are some of the best:
A politician
with an interest in haiku?
no more war poems
Jane Crossen
Herman van Rompuy
Your name makes us smile
All Europe your mattress
Melvin Stark
Governing Europe
may be as troublesome
as writing a good haik
Bill Salaman
A duck rises
out of guttural lowlands
and over the hills
Dick Pettit
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Comments
As far as Mr. Blair is concerned, the bell rang for all the wrong reasons: warmongerer, former leader of a semi-detached member of the EU, Bush's poodle etc. etc.
Rompty-Dumpty, who managed to keep Belgium from falling off the wall, and Tony Blair Witch Cathy, Baroness of Upyourbum.
Don't they just totally instill confidence and hope that the EU has a steady hand at the helm to steer it out of the doldrums?
EU law prevents any extention of their mandated time and consequentially should negate this election of President & High Representative.
Financially, are they still paying themselves the inflated salaries of Commissioners when their time has finished. This is considered fraud.
It would be like, Brown, continuing to act as PM, after June into July 2010 without the mandate of a Gen/Election.
The Commissioners, lacking legal authority, do not have the power to elect a new President and certainly don't have a mandate from the people of Britain. The election of this EU President is fatally flawed.
how do they represent me? i didnt vote for them.
At least Tony didn't get the job : how can a representative of the UK even have any ambitions for this ? Not using the euro ? Not a member of Schengen ? On the one hand refusing id-cards on the grounds of privacy, but on the other hands a security cam on every corner of every street ? Gosh, I wish someone in your country would have the courage to move you out of the EU and become a member of the US. Things would be so much clearer...
There are degrees of freedom, however.
I can call the EU a crypto-communist system. I can call anything that can be called crypto-communistic just as easily fascistic.
I can argue that there are more points of similarity between fascism and communism, than that there are differences.
I can argue that playing nice music at the radio is one of the most effective instruments to control large masses of inherently dissatisfied citizines.
I can argue that television is an even more effective way of submission. You make the people feel comfortable with being inferior.
I can argue that it doesn't matter what frank598 thinks. Just as easily as you do. What the heck does he thinks!?
There is no way he -as an individual- could have influenced the choice for the president of the EU. The proces isn't meant to be democratic. It is meant to be an expression of european consensus. IMHO this consensus shows that Europe is becoming a major catastrophy.
In this respect I actually agree with him.
Then again, knowing what I know about the current state of the world, I can only predict more misery for this lonely planet in a magnificantly huge universe. We are obviously in the grip of criminals and idiots.
When will finally understand that life is meaningless without the freedom to be foolish? They want us to be obedient from day one, and punish us if we aren't. But they won't invest in educating us adequately either. Because then most of us would understand their scheme and take freedom in their own hands.
Current politcs shows criminal neglect both when it comes to human rights, care of the planet, visions for a sustainable future, empathy for the indivdual, honesty, justice etc. etc.
Instead we hire two light-weights to not take up such issues.
I can easily outline how humanity can build a future that is sustainable for the coming centuries based on a growing world population. Instead we already know there will be no agreement in Copenhagen.
Franky-boy might be wrong, but at the same time he is right. It's a sham!
I had never heard of Angela Merkel before she was elected Chancellor of Germany.
If van Rompuy and Ashton turn out to be as low profile and efficient as Fraulen Merkel then I think we have a winning team.
I'm confident
n.
1.
a. One who is actively involved in financial opportunism and embezzlement.
b. One who holds or seeks a political office thru blackmail or inheritance, whilst attempting to maintain status by deceiving of the public.
2. One who seeks personal or partisan gain, often by scheming and maneuvering.
3. One who is skilled or experienced in the science or administration of corruption.
I don't doubt that both persons have very good intentions.
I don't doubt that they did well in their previous positions.
But I don't doubt either that both have been chosen because of their pathetical lack of charisma.
Neither of them will be able to kill a fly or muscito.
What I see in Europe today, is that freedom of speech is being serisously restricted.
As a Dutchman living in Norway I have access to a multitude of views on this world.
In Norway we are being denied to express our opinions through newspapers like the Independent. There is no or hardly any possibility to express feelings of anger at a freely accessible platform. You need to go into bloggs in order to find opinions of what is wrong with the world today. Well hidden! I call this censorship.
In Holland I see exactly the same. For instance, the Telegraaf refuses to publish any comment that asks serious questions about current politics. Sure, if you are a neanderthaler cursing politics, they don't mind publishing the comment. But as soon as you try to post a serious critique of current politics, the comment is refused.
And adding up these two observations, I really and truelly believe that the ultimate police state has been installed.
In addition I can say that my observations of the (implicite) responses to my own behaviour in daily life has led me to the conviction that each and every one of is being watched.
What Europe would have needed right now are strong, liberal, open-minded leaders who would have been able to find the balance between personal freedom and commercial enterprise.
What I see in practice suggests that absolutely inadequate persons are being given roles they cannot fulfill. Which means that they will become the voice of forces that intend to remain anonymous. They will have to obey, not lead...
Thank you EU for becoming our worst nightmare. I guess that the old DDR was benign in comparison!
But don't try to say things like this at the website of the Dutch TELEGRAAF. You will be censored...
Try NRC, Volkskrant, Trouw or any of the more relevant newspapers. There are plenty of opportunities to ventilate your opinions. Volkskrant has polls, just like NRC and there are specific discussion topics.
Another relevant way to get involved is to join a political party. There always is one that -in general terms- should suit your believes. Good luck in getting more involved.
Several of my comments regarding difficult issues have been rejected. While at the same time they allowed comments containing abusive language.
And sure, you are right, the Telegraaf is a doubtful newspaper. That makes this newspaper ever more interesting as target for anti-propaganda.
But when comments are being rejected, one is basically powerless.
Otherwise, I hope Costa Rica is the place to be for you! Even though Norway isn't that perfect as they like to think, couldn't imagine living in Holland...
Roman Hun, no
Vampyre Ass
No horn beast!
Seriously, can I vote these people out AND can we, the people of Europe, hold them to account? If not, this is a dictatorship forming and we must ready our pitchforks to defend our freedoms once again.
to solipstiden, Piece of advice: change newspaper (or country). Britain has become of police state the Stassi would have been proud of. But we shall fight!
I am fully aware that your country is "on thin ice". But still, you have a significantly larger opportunity to express your discontent.
In Norway it is basically only one state-owned website offering readers the possibility to comment (www.nrk.no). All the other newspapers have either reduced this possibility to near-zero or completely removed any form of interaction.
I am afraid I must agree with you otherwise. You are living in a police state. And of course, we cannot fight hard enough. I prefer to fight through words, but who knows, maybe some day words aren't enough anymore...