For all the consternation and moaning in much of the European press regarding the selection of Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, and British EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton, for respectively as the President of the European Council and High Representative of the Union for Common Foreign and Security policy, you would think the European project is going to fall apart. It baffles me.
I don’t know how any could have thought a high-profile figure like Tony Blair would be a natural fit for the role. Indeed, an already well-known political figure would have overshadowed the office itself, and created too high of expectations vis-a-vis the actual powers of the two newly created posts. The European Union has best operated (and at times been heavily criticized for) when driven by leaders who have tirelessly worked to integrate the disparate economies of Europe, contribute to social change, push for the removal of barriers both physical and economic, and promote general peace on the Continent—all of which largely occurred under the radar.
Yes, the EU is somewhat of a Byzantine organization. But it’s better for the future of the EU that the new posts created by the Lisbon Treaty are not occupied by someone like Blair, who would likely not operate well with the rather complicated voting rules of European institutions. Boring is better for Europe.
