euro|topics - Portugal takes over the EU presidency

Main focus of Friday, June 29, 2007

Portugal takes over the EU presidency

Portugal is preparing to takeover as head of the EU for its third time. The European press explores the issues that it will face over the next six months, and evaluates the performance of outgoing Germany, whose mandate comes to a close July 1st.

Süddeutsche Zeitung - Germany

Alexander Hagelüken praises the success of Germany's EU presidency and takes a sceptical look at its successors. "The Chancellor and her ministers managed to achieve a consensus on climate protection and cell phone calls abroad in record time. They also settled the dispute about the EU constitution, manhunts of criminals and credit for consumers. This is the good news at the end of Merkel's turn as EU president. The bad news is that the Germans won't be chairing the EU again until 2021. Now the Portuguese and then the Slovenians are taking over the presidency. Then come the Cypriots, the Lithuanians, the Estonians and the Maltese. With all due respect for the abilities of the smaller countries: the presidencies of the miniature states, which are the norm in a 27-member state EU, will slow Europe down. Many of the future presidents come from the new EU countries and possess neither the experience nor the political clout to lead the Union with its 500 million citizens. When you're navigating troubled waters and the wheel is turning the captain rather than the other way round, the ship can easily run aground." (28/06/2007)

Le Temps - Switzerland

Germany had an almost perfect performance as head of the EU, writes Yves Petignat, the daily's Berlin correspondent. All except for one point: "Angela Merkel and her diplomats failed to reach out to Moscow. The deal [on EU-Russia negotiations] was blocked by the Polish veto and the Russian embargo on Polish beef. The last summit [on May 17th and 18th] in Samara between Putin and the Europeans didn't go very well either, even according to [German Foreign Affairs Minister] Frank-Walter Steinmeier. There have been few advances, and even some serious impasses emerged, on questions of external relations essential for the EU: the road toward the independence of Kosovo and peace efforts in the Middle East. 'If Europeans are the only ones to decide on their own institutions, simple questions like foreign policy still depend on elements that we are not alone in mastering', said the German minister." (29/06/2007)

La Libre Belgique - Belgium

Portugal hopes to take advantage of the EU presidency by orienting European policy toward the Mediterranean and southern countries. Journalist Olivier le Bussy lists the pressing issues. "In the first place, a summit between the EU and Brazil, an emerging country who is also a former Portuguese colony, which will perhaps allow us to smooth over our differences coming out of the Doha round of WTO negotiations. Another with Africa - the first since 2000, also under a Portuguese presidency - to help the black continent establish the foundations of integration inspired on the European model, but also to discuss peace, sustainable development and regulation of the floods of migrants. Finally, a conference 'Euro Med' on the cooperation of the Mediterranean countries." (29/06/2007)

Diário de Notícias - Portugal

António Vitorino, a writer for the Portuguese daily, hopes that when Portugal takes its turn as President of the EU, it will protect the consensus obtained in Brussels. "After long hours of negotiations, the European Council approved the mandate necessary to hold an Intergovernmental Conference for the reform of the European treaties. This mandate is a good omen for the [future] Portuguese President of the Union who assumes its post this Sunday. ... The 27 member EU needs this reform so that it can improve its decision-making ability and reinforce its transparency and democratic responsibility. ... The mandate is thus a precious charge for the Portuguese presidency, but it's not yet a treaty. We must therefore hope that this good start is followed by a positive conclusion at the end of the semester ... that corresponds to the preoccupations and aspirations of Europeans, independent of the way each country chooses to approve and ratify the future treaty of the Union!" (29/06/2007)

» To the complete press review of Friday, June 29, 2007

Bookmark this page at