Breaking News
GREECE: Parliament approves crucial austerity plan
Facebook
Share :
Subscribe :
Twitter
Share :
Subscribe :
Latest update: 20/11/2009 

- 2010 FIFA World Cup - European Union - France - Herman Van Rompuy - International Press Review - Ireland


Belgium’s PM named EU’s first President

No Flash warning
To take advantage of all the features on FRANCE24.COM, please click here to download the latest version of Flash Player.

Belgium’s papers all lead with the nomination of Herman Van Rompuy to the post of President of the European Council. In the UK however there's less interest in Catherine Ashton’s selection as the EU’s first High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

IN THE PAPERS
By James CREEDON

Herman Van Rompuy won’t have to pack his bags – he’s staying in Brussels but donning a new hat. The Belgian Prime Minister has been selected as the EU’s first President. Flander’s biggest selling paper, Het Laatste Nieuws, leads with a photo of Van Rompuy and the headline “A Belgian as the First”.

The French-language paper Le Soir wonders whether Obama will call Van Rompuy when he needs to “speak to Europe”. Neither Van Rompuy nor Ashton have a high international profile compared to other candidates for the two top jobs.


The Independent in the UK says Catherine Ashton has a lucky habit of being in the right place at the right time. She’s leader of the House of Lords yet has a low profile in the British Labour Party. Some commentators believe her post carries more clout than that of the President of the Commission. She will head up Europe’s beefed up diplomatic service with 5,000 staff posted to 130 EU Embassies around the world.

The Guardian focuses on the machinations behind the selection of the two leaders. Apparently the former Italian PM Massimo d’Alema was the front runner of Asthon’s job but Israel opposed his candidacy because of his pro-Palestine position. This put the ball in Britain’s court. Because Ashton now has the foreign policy job, Britain is out of the running for the Commission’s economic posts. This suits other EU heavyweights – it means France and Germany will be able to lay claim to the big single market, financial services, trade and competition portfolios. The UK is afraid that EU legislation to regulate financial services could threaten the City.

French left-leaning paper Libération worries about the charisma vacuum in the choice of Van Rompuy and Ashton. The paper compares the Belgian Prime Minister to a ‘local anaesthetic’ and says the only person more boring than him is… Catherine Ashton!

Other stories in today’s international papers:

The Irish Times
Government calls for replay of match with France

The Irish Times
Not falling into a trap of pointing the finger

 

Renault vs. Made in France
10/02/2012 - IN THE FRENCH PAPERS

Renault vs. Made in France

FRENCH PAPERS, Fri. 10/02/12, French papers react to a sneak peak of Nicolas Sarkozy’s interview in Le Figaro Magazine that will be published tomorrow. Le Figaro applauds the President and his values, while left-leaning Libération calls him "reactionary". Meanwhile, a lot of the French press focuses on the controversy sparked by French car-maker Renault which has decided to build a factory in Morocco.
Rick Santorum - the real voice of the Republican party?
09/02/2012 - IN THE WORLD PAPERS

Rick Santorum - the real voice of the Republican party?

Syria is still the focus of today's international papers - but we also look at Rick Santorum's surprise win in the Republican primaries, the role of the untouchables in Indian politics, and how rich Chinese couples get around the one-child rule.
(1) comment
The cost of an election campaign
09/02/2012 - IN THE FRENCH PAPERS

The cost of an election campaign

François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy shook hands last night at a dinner for France's biggest Jewish lobbying organisation - but are their attempts to attract the Jewish electorate working? We also look at Eric Woerth - accused of illegal campaign financing - and how this year's candidates are paying for their campaigns.
'A Tale of Two Cities: Damascus and Homs'
08/02/2012 - IN THE WORLD PAPERS

'A Tale of Two Cities: Damascus and Homs'

Syria's still the focus for the international press: we look at testimony from those trapped in Homs, and ask what the West should do next. We also look at the fresh row over the Falklands - and how that's gone down with the press in Argentina.
The battle of the populists
08/02/2012 - IN THE FRENCH PAPERS

The battle of the populists

It's the row in Parliament that's on all France's front pages - yesterday the whole government walked out for the first time in a century, after a Socialist MP effectively accused the interior minister of Nazism.

Comments
Post new comment
To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.

Related Content
Close