Rõivas: One Top EU Job Should be Filled by New Members
Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas said before talks on naming the new EU foreign policy chief and the European Council president on Wednesday, that at least one of the top jobs should got to the newer member states.
“Estonia supports experienced and capable candidates who have a clear understanding of the changed security situation in Europe,” Rõivas said before the summit of EU leaders, which failed to name the candidates for the two top positions on Wednesday.
He said candidates from the 2004 and 2007 enlargement would understand the problems of the region.
Former Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip has been named as a potential candidate for the president of the EC.
EU leaders failed to reach agreement as their summit ended early today over who should get the top jobs to steer the 28-nation bloc over the next five years. Early hopes for a decision on who would replace Britain's Catherine Ashton as head of foreign affairs, a coveted job, put the summit in immediate difficulty.
The three Baltic nations and Poland lead the opposition to the candidacy of Italian Federica Mogherini from succeeding Ashton, saying that she was too conciliatory with Russia.
There will be another summit on August 30.