Debate on new EU jobs 'descended into shabby deals'

Parliament's plenary has heard that the debate about who should be the new EU president and high representative had "degenerated into shabby deals".

The attack, by senior deputy Tim Kirkhope, came after the Swedish presidency confirmed that the EU will hold a special summit in Brussels on 19 November to decide the new jobs.

"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.

Belgium's prime minister Herman van Rompuy has emerged as a frontrunner for the post of EU president.

Speaking during a parliamentary debate on the new posts, Kirkhope, deputy leader of the ECR group, said the process had become "shabby, instead of a process that determines who is best placed to do the job".

In a speech, Kirkhope, who also leads the UK delegation of Tory MEPs, added, "I cannot let this opportunity pass without mentioning the debate that now seems to dominate Europe's agenda: the appointments of the president of the European council and of the high representative.

"We should start by defining clearly their scope and nature, and, as result, of the qualities and experience of the people needed to fill them.

"It would be logical for the council to invite formal nominations and hear the candidates ahead of the decision.

"Instead, the discussion is degenerating into a shabby little debate between government leaders who appear to be only interested in sharing out jobs amongst themselves - should they be given to from a small country or a large, north or south, east or west, left or right? - and not whether someone is actually the best candidate to take on the responsibilities of the office.

"What is worse, some have even tried to divide the EU into two classes of citizenship by stating that only individuals coming from a member state that is both a full member of the Schengen area and the eurozone should be eligible.

"Such discrimination is completely unacceptable."

Kirkhope added, "It is tragic that this should be the level of debate on this day of history when we remember all those who have fallen in warfare.

"In a week when we have remembered the horrors of Kristallnacht and the tragic events which it presaged, and have celebrated the achievement of all those who contributed to the fall of Communism."

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