Spain Endorses Prodi for Europe's top job

ROMANO PRODI, the former Italian prime minister, was emerging last night as the firm favourite for the presidency of the European Commission, after his candidacy was endorsed by Spain.

Although he has said he is unavailable, Wim Kok, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, is also viewed as a serious challenger as the horse trading heats up before heads of government meet for the Berlin summit on Wednesday.

Abel Matutes, the Foreign Minister of Spain, said in Brussels: "Prodi has demonstrated that he is competent and qualified to do the job."

Spain's backing for Mr Prodi confirms speculation that Jose Maria Aznar, the centre-right Spanish Prime Minister, would withhold his support from his compatriot Javier Solana, the Nato secretary-general, whowas considered a frontrunner.

France is hostile to the idea of appointing another Dutchman to a key EU position. Itscandidate for the presidency of the European Central Bank lost out to the Dutchman Wim Duisenberg last year.

One scenario is that Paris would agree to Mr Kok's appointment as Commission chief if Mr Duisenberg relinquished his post within two years.

EU foreign ministers were meeting in Brussels last night to try to narrow divisions over whether an interim caretaker successor to the disgraced Commission president, Jacques Santer, should be found. Robin Cook, the Foreign Secretary, called for a permanent president to be appointed immediately

As the whistleblower Paul Van Buitenen warned of a torrent of fresh corruption evidence, Mr Cook put forwardproposals for ending France's administrative stranglehold on the Commission. He said appointments and promotionsshould be based on merit rather than nationality.