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| Belgian PM named as EU president | Belgian PM named as EU president |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| EU leaders have chosen the Belgian Prime Minister, Herman van Rompuy, to be the first permanent European Council President. | EU leaders have chosen the Belgian Prime Minister, Herman van Rompuy, to be the first permanent European Council President. |
| The other top job created by the Lisbon Treaty - foreign affairs supremo - has gone to the EU Trade Commissioner, Baroness Catherine Ashton from the UK. | |
| Both are seen as consensual politicians with little foreign policy experience. | |
| Both had unanimous backing from the 27 EU leaders at the summit in Brussels, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said. | |
| Earlier, the UK government said it was no longer pushing for former PM Tony Blair to get the presidency post. | Earlier, the UK government said it was no longer pushing for former PM Tony Blair to get the presidency post. |
| Mr Van Rompuy had crucial French and German support. He has a reputation as a coalition builder, having taken charge of the linguistically divided Belgian government and steered it out of a crisis. | Mr Van Rompuy had crucial French and German support. He has a reputation as a coalition builder, having taken charge of the linguistically divided Belgian government and steered it out of a crisis. |
| UK shifts stance | UK shifts stance |
| A UK government spokesman revealed the dramatic twist in the British position. | A UK government spokesman revealed the dramatic twist in the British position. |
| The UK persuaded the other six leaders in the socialist group to back the Baroness Ashton, having dropped Tony Blair. | The UK persuaded the other six leaders in the socialist group to back the Baroness Ashton, having dropped Tony Blair. |
| EU leaders met in Brussels to select their first full-time president and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs - new posts created by the Lisbon Treaty, which will come into force on 1 December. | EU leaders met in Brussels to select their first full-time president and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs - new posts created by the Lisbon Treaty, which will come into force on 1 December. |
| Wanted: Someone with star quality | Wanted: Someone with star quality |
| Mr Brown praised Mr Van Rompuy as "a consensus builder" who had "brought a period of political stability to his country after months of uncertainty". | |
| "I am particularly pleased that a Briton secured the other position. It gives Britain a powerful voice within the Council and the [EU] Commission. It will ensure that Britain's voice is very loud and clear. It will ensure that Britain remains at the heart of Europe," he said. | |
| Baroness Ashton "is the first woman to hold such a high position in the EU," he added. | |
| Going into the meeting the heads of the 27 EU member nations had various candidates to choose from and after-dinner negotiations were expected to continue late into the night. | Going into the meeting the heads of the 27 EU member nations had various candidates to choose from and after-dinner negotiations were expected to continue late into the night. |
| Mr Blair had been an early favourite for president and was the highest-profile candidate. | Mr Blair had been an early favourite for president and was the highest-profile candidate. |
| Another contender, Dutch PM Jan-Peter Balkenende, ruled himself out of the contest as the meeting got under way. | Another contender, Dutch PM Jan-Peter Balkenende, ruled himself out of the contest as the meeting got under way. |
| Seeking balance | Seeking balance |
| The EU leaders had a working dinner together to negotiate the appointments. | The EU leaders had a working dinner together to negotiate the appointments. |
| They were reported to be striving for a balance in the two posts, with one filled by a candidate from one of the bigger EU states, the other from a smaller country. | They were reported to be striving for a balance in the two posts, with one filled by a candidate from one of the bigger EU states, the other from a smaller country. |
| THE PRESIDENT'S ROLE Chosen by 27 member states by qualified majority vote Two-and-a-half-year term Can be re-elected once Chairs EU summits Drives forward the work of EU Council of Ministers Facilitates cohesion and consensus Represents the EU on the world stage Profile: Herman van Rompuy | THE PRESIDENT'S ROLE Chosen by 27 member states by qualified majority vote Two-and-a-half-year term Can be re-elected once Chairs EU summits Drives forward the work of EU Council of Ministers Facilitates cohesion and consensus Represents the EU on the world stage Profile: Herman van Rompuy |
| Similarly, the presidency was expected to go to a centre-right politician and the post of foreign affairs chief to the centre-left. | Similarly, the presidency was expected to go to a centre-right politician and the post of foreign affairs chief to the centre-left. |
| The combination of Mr Van Rompuy and Lady Ashton achieves that balance, the BBC's Jonny Dymond says. | |
| Mr Blair was an early frontrunner for the presidency, but some leaders feared he would overshadow them and so the mood shifted in favour of a lower-profile name instead, the BBC's Europe editor Gavin Hewitt says. | |
| The EU president will chair regular meetings of the European Council at which decisions are taken about the political position of the bloc. | The EU president will chair regular meetings of the European Council at which decisions are taken about the political position of the bloc. |
| However, correspondents say the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, as the post is officially known, could have an even more powerful role. | However, correspondents say the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, as the post is officially known, could have an even more powerful role. |
| The foreign policy chief will have a seat as vice-president of the European Commission, as well as a budget worth billions of euros and a new diplomatic service of up to 5,000 people. | The foreign policy chief will have a seat as vice-president of the European Commission, as well as a budget worth billions of euros and a new diplomatic service of up to 5,000 people. |
| Mr Van Rompuy has been described as a pragmatic rather than a charismatic figure. | Mr Van Rompuy has been described as a pragmatic rather than a charismatic figure. |
| During his time as budget minister in Belgium's Christian Democrat-led government, he took a tough stance on balancing the economic books, drastically reducing the country's public debt. | During his time as budget minister in Belgium's Christian Democrat-led government, he took a tough stance on balancing the economic books, drastically reducing the country's public debt. |
| Mr Blair had not put himself forward for the role, but had not ruled himself out either. | Mr Blair had not put himself forward for the role, but had not ruled himself out either. |
| Currently working as Middle East envoy for the US, UN, EU and Russia, he was earlier described by Mr Brown as an "excellent candidate". | Currently working as Middle East envoy for the US, UN, EU and Russia, he was earlier described by Mr Brown as an "excellent candidate". |
| The UK's Foreign Secretary David Miliband had been tipped as a possible contender for the job of EU foreign affairs chief, but said he was not available. | The UK's Foreign Secretary David Miliband had been tipped as a possible contender for the job of EU foreign affairs chief, but said he was not available. |
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