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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| EU to decide top jobs next week | EU to decide top jobs next week |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The EU will hold a special summit on 19 November to decide the new top jobs of EU president and foreign policy chief. | The EU will hold a special summit on 19 November to decide the new top jobs of EU president and foreign policy chief. |
| "The extra informal summit... will take the form of a working dinner in Brussels," a spokesman for the Swedish EU presidency said. | "The extra informal summit... will take the form of a working dinner in Brussels," a spokesman for the Swedish EU presidency said. |
| The appointments will be made by the leaders of the 27 member states, by a qualified majority vote. | The appointments will be made by the leaders of the 27 member states, by a qualified majority vote. |
| Belgium's Prime Minister, Herman van Rompuy, has emerged as a frontrunner for the post of EU president. | Belgium's Prime Minister, Herman van Rompuy, has emerged as a frontrunner for the post of EU president. |
| On Monday Sweden's PM Fredrik Reinfeldt said he was half-way through consultations with the governments on their preferred candidates. | On Monday Sweden's PM Fredrik Reinfeldt said he was half-way through consultations with the governments on their preferred candidates. |
| Under the Lisbon Treaty, the president of the European Council will be appointed by the governments for a term of two-and-a-half years, renewable once. The goal is to achieve more continuity and stability in major EU policy areas. | |
| Besides Mr Van Rompuy, leading candidates for the job are said to include Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and his Luxembourg counterpart Jean-Claude Juncker. | Besides Mr Van Rompuy, leading candidates for the job are said to include Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and his Luxembourg counterpart Jean-Claude Juncker. |
| The centre-left former Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema is a frontrunner for the new post of High Representative for Foreign Affairs. Whoever gets that job will also become vice president of the European Commission. | The centre-left former Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema is a frontrunner for the new post of High Representative for Foreign Affairs. Whoever gets that job will also become vice president of the European Commission. |
| The Lisbon Treaty will come into effect on 1 December. It was ratified by the Czech Republic last week - completing a long and tortuous process of ratification by all 27 member states. | The Lisbon Treaty will come into effect on 1 December. It was ratified by the Czech Republic last week - completing a long and tortuous process of ratification by all 27 member states. |
| A third post will be decided at the summit - that of Secretary-General for the Council Secretariat. It will involve managing the business of the Council, which brings together the 27 EU governments. | A third post will be decided at the summit - that of Secretary-General for the Council Secretariat. It will involve managing the business of the Council, which brings together the 27 EU governments. |
| In an interview with the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter, quoted by the AFP news agency, Mr Reinfeldt said that "for many a left-right balance is very important, as is a balance between big and small countries, north and south, men and women". | |
| His spokeswoman Roberta Alenius said "there are many names right now, but there is no clear favourite". |