Last week, the European Union (EU) filled the two new positions established by the recently ratified Lisbon Treaty -- president of the European Council and EU high representative for common foreign and security policy. Most of the press coverage following the appointments has focused on the personalities of the individuals selected for the jobs. But this preoccupation with personalities risks obscuring the more profound implications of the EU's first steps toward implementing the treaty's provisions.
Commentators have generally disparaged the selection of Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy as president and Britain's EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton as foreign policy chief, comparing them unfavorably to more prominent candidates such as former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair and current U.K. Foreign Minister David Miliband. The New York Times reported that "the selection of such low-profile figures seemed to highlight Europe's problems instead of its readiness to take a more united and forceful place in world affairs." ...
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