Portugal takes EU helm with surprise invitation to Mugabe

The Portuguese government faces a storm of protest over its decision to invite the Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, to a Europe-Africa summit in December.

A poisonous thicket of other problems awaits Portugal, which yesterday took over the EU presidency until the end of the year.

The unpredictable twins running Poland have challenged a compromise agreement on voting rights reached at an EU summit only 10 days ago. The French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, is threatening to derail long-term negotiations on Turkish membership.

However, the most contentious issue is likely to be Lisbon's decision to set aside an EU travel ban on Mr Mugabe. The invitation will be disputed by Zimbabwean opposition groups and by some EU governments, including Britain. Lisbon's decision creates an awkward diplomatic conundrum for Gordon Brown. The Prime Minister has pledged to make special efforts for development in Africa but will not welcome rubbing shoulders with Mr Mugabe.

Under EU rules, any country can veto the invitation to Mr Mugabe. However, several other African leaders are threatening to boycott the meeting if Mr Mugabe is excluded.

Portuguese officials insisted at the weekend that the invitation did not infringe EU sanctions. A travel ban on senior figures in Harare provides for exemptions for meetings to discuss human rights, they said. "He will be hearing things he does not want to hear," one senior Portuguese official said.

The Portuguese Prime Minister, José Sócrates, who took over the rotating EU council presidency from Germany yesterday, is a keen long-distance runner. He will need all his stamina - and the wisdom of his ancient Greek namesake - if he is to make a success of his six months in office.

The main objective of the Portuguese government is to finalise the small print of a new EU "reform" package to allow a formal signing of a Treaty of Lisbon at a summit in October.

However, part of the outline agreement reached in Brussels last month is already beginning to unravel. Several European capitals traditionally close down for the month of August, reducing negotiating time. The most immediate problem is a threat by the Polish government to ditch a complex agreement on member states' voting rights reached in Brussels 10 days ago.

The Polish President, Lech Kaczynski, and the Prime Minister, his twin brother, Jaroslaw, had opposed a proposal that decisions by EU governments in the Council of Ministers should be taken by a majority of member states, representing 65 per cent of the EU population.

Lisbon also faces a possible confrontation with the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, who plans to veto talks with Ankara on the economic and financial aspects of long-term Turkish membership of the EU.

The Portuguese government says that these talks must begin this autumn as a matter of "fairness" to Turkey.

M. Sarkozy promised during his election campaign to oppose Turkish membership. He has also suggested that Turkey and north African states should join a "Mediterranean Union", allied to but separate from the EU.