MARK HENNESSY
Former Luxembourg prime minister, Jean-Claude Juncker is “the chosen, voted candidate” of the centre-right European People’s Party to lead the European Commission, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.
Speaking in Guernsey, Mr Kenny appeared to offer little comfort to British prime minister David Cameron, who has criticised efforts to put Mr Junker in the top Brussels post. "I think it is a matter for the prime minister himself as to how vociferous he wants to become about this," Mr Kenny told The Irish Times after a meeting of the British-Irish Council.
Lisbon treaty
“It is true to say the European Council has never had detailed discussions about the process here but the Lisbon
treaty sets out what it is that you must do,” he went on.
The treaty says EU leaders must take account of European Parliament results before deciding on a share-out of top Brussels posts, but Mr Cameron insists MEPs are now intent on a power-grab. “The longer this drifts the more difficult it becomes,” said Mr Kenny, adding the next commission must “be as inclusive and as understanding as possible” of non-Euro EU states’ “difficulties”.
Meanwhile, the North’s First Minister Peter Robinson said relations between Northern Ireland and the Republic are at their “best-ever” level, partly because of the existence of the British-Irish Council. Mr Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness joined Mr Kenny and British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg at yesterday’s meeting of the council in Guernsey.
Beside the representatives from Dublin, London and Belfast, the British Irish Council – set up as part of the Good Friday agreement – is also made up of Scotland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
"Maybe it is not making massive announcements about things it is going to do, but it continually improves relationships and that is vitally important," Mr Robinson told The Irish Times.
Pressed to defend its accomplishments, Isle of Man chief minister Allan Bell accepted the communiques issued after many of its 22 meetings since 1999 may seen “bland and meaningless”.
However, he said: “I have experienced it many times, you can achieve an awful lot in five minutes over a cup of coffee than all the public posturing can ever achieve.”
Saying that he found the council to be “absolutely invaluable”, Mr Bell added: “When problems do arise you can have very good personal relationships to try and nip some of these problems in the bud.”
