EU leaders set to decide on first president
19:07 19/11/2009 BRUSSELS, November 19 (RIA Novosti) - Leaders of the European Union's 27 countries will meet in Brussels on Thursday evening to decide who will become the bloc's first president.
Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy is widely seen as the frontrunner among a large pool of candidates for the post, officially entitled Permanent President of the European Council.
The leaders will also decide on a candidate for the role of High Representative, or EU foreign minister. If an overwhelming consensus is not reached on the two positions, both created by the recently adopted Lisbon Treaty, a vote will be held.
The German and French leaders, Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, have signaled their support for Van Rompuy's bid, despite British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's efforts to secure backing for his long-time ally, Tony Blair.
However, the outcome remains uncertain, with several other EU countries insisting that the decision-making process should not be dominated by the bloc's largest countries. Senior diplomats from countries including Poland have urged for the decision to be as democratic as possible.
The president will have the role of a figurehead, without executive powers. Under to the Lisbon Treaty on EU reform, the president will "take on the work currently assigned to rotating Presidencies" and "facilitate cohesion and consensus within the European Council". The post has a term of 2.5 years.
The most prominent candidate for EU foreign minister is Miguel Angel Moratinos, a member of a member of Spain's Socialist Workers' Party.
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