Friday

29th Mar 2024

Fischer's bid for EU foreign affairs job in doubt

The crisis in Iraq has seriously damaged Joschka Fischer's chances to become the first EU foreign affairs minister, Financial Times Deutschland writes in an editorial today.

According to the newspaper, it is not a matter of whether Germany was "on the right front side" with its position over war in Iraq. The problem is that the German Foreign Affairs minister seemed unable to even decide what the position should be.

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This should not be a feature of the future EU foreign affairs minister, the German newspaper adds.

Allegations that German Foreign affairs minister could chair a new EU foreign affairs post within a new power structure in Brussels are nothing new. In the political circles of Berlin it is almost decided that Joschka Fischer should fill the post, that has not yet been established.

The Convention on the Future of Europe is discussing the proposal to create a chair of common EU foreign minister, merging the current separate roles performed by the EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana and external relations Commissioner Chris Patten.

Financial Times Deutschland writes that the German Chancellor would like to see Mr Fischer chairing the common EU foreign policy because that would increase a German role in the international arena where "German leaders have less posts than the French or British". According to the newspaper, Great Britain and Poland have also given signals that they could support Mr Fischer's nomination.

However, Mr Fischer will not be the only candidate for the post as the debate on the matter continues. One serious competitor could be the Greek Foreign Affairs minister George Papandreou.

US and EU breaking taboos to restrain Israel

The US abstained and all EU states on the UN Security Council backed a call for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza, as Europe prepares to also blacklist extremist Israeli settlers.

EU warns Russia over Moscow terror attacks

Europe has warned Russia not to use the weekend's terror attacks in Moscow as a pretext to escalate its war in Ukraine and crackdown on internal dissent.

EU summit risks failing Gaza once again, Ireland warns

Austrians and Czechs might block an EU statement calling for an Israeli ceasefire, Ireland warned, as leaders met in Brussels amid starvation in Gaza. Israel's conduct of the war meant it had "squandered the support they had", Leo Varadkar said.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

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