SPIEGEL ONLINE
- November 23, 2009
Europe's leaders have chosen two competent but dull technocrats to be the EU's first president and foreign minister. The uninspired choice shows the determination of national leaders to hold on to power -- and the limits of what is currently possible within the bloc. By Hans Hoyng and Hans-Jürgen Schlamp more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- November 20, 2009
The appointment of Herman Van Rompuy and Catherine Ashton to the European Union's top spots has many scratching their heads. The two are relatively unknown, but expectations are so low, they can only exceed them. By Carsten Volkery more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- November 20, 2009
Herman Van Rompuy is a practicing Catholic who belongs to the conservative wing of the Flemish Christian Democrat party. He likes haiku poetry and prefers the Beatles to the Stones. By Jeroen van der Kris in Brussels more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- November 20, 2009
Europe's leaders are relieved that the wrangling over the EU's new positions of president and foreign minister is finally over. But they have no reason to be proud. Once again, the EU has missed an opportunity to boost its standing on the global stage. By Carsten Volkery in Brussels more...
SPIEGEL ONLINE
- November 10, 2009
The list of discarded names continues to grow: Tony Blair, Jean-Claude Juncker, David Miliband. But the search for candidates to fill the European Union's top two posts continues -- and the smart money is on the least-known candidates, like Belgian Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy. By Carsten Volkery more...
