Possible candidates for EU president

The 27 European Union leaders are meeting Thursday to pick the bloc’s first president and new foreign policy chief from a handful of unnamed candidates, mostly current or former prime ministers.

However, no consensus had yet emerged over who will be picked to become the full-time president just hours before the summit intended to decide the issue. It is a delicate process, with EU leaders seeking to find a political and geographical balance.

The following is a list of figures linked to the two top jobs created under the Lisbon Treaty:

HERMAN VAN ROMPUY - Belgian prime minister

The 62-year-old Belgian prime minister is seen as a frontrunner for the top EU post. He is also well versed in the diplomatic art of keeping feuding factions together, as he presides over a coalition government formed from Dutch-speaking parties from the Flemish north and the francophones of the southern region of Wallonia after 18 months of political turmoil in Belgium.

However, that success may be his main handicap. Many Belgian officials fear that losing him to the EU could plunge the country into a fresh crisis and heighten tensions between French- and Dutch-speakers with no obvious candidate to replace him.

Rompuy is a low-profile leader whose calming skills could suit German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy better than an established world statesman such as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Geertrui Van Rompuy, his wife, has confirmed that he would like to be considered for the post but repeated the official Belgian line that he is required as prime minister. He is also a keen poet, best known for his haikus, a 17-syllable form of Japanese poetry.

TONY BLAIR - Former British prime minister

The former British prime minister is the heavyweight candidate but his star appears to be falling in Europe. He has the clout to talk nose-to-nose with leaders in China, Russia and the United States but his role in the Iraq conflict – along with opposition based on a series of British opt-outs from core EU policies, such as the euro – suggests it may prove impossible to form a consensus around his candidacy.

The 56-year-old politician has not put himself forward for the role but nor has he done anything to suggest he is not interested. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has explicitly backed him, while Prime Minister Gordon Brown is understood to be pushing his case behind the scenes. The UK's opposition Conservative Party has made clear its absolute opposition to the idea.

In Europe itself, Blair is dividing EU states. Italy's Silvio Berlusconi has given him whole-hearted backing. France's Nicolas Sarkozy started by signaling support for him, saying Europe needed a big-hitter, but has also said that Britain’s reluctance to adopt the euro is a problem. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s views could be decisive on his candidacy. Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Poland favor a candidate who would chair and moderate debates rather than play any independent role.

JAN PETER BALKENENDE - Dutch prime minister

The Christian-Democrat Dutch government chief said last week that he is not a candidate. Nevertheless, the EU’s horse-trading form suggests he could yet become a ‘reluctant’ compromise. His detractors point out that he was in charge when Dutch voters rejected the EU constitution – the Lisbon Treaty's predecessor – in 2005.

Balkenende has spent the past few years boosting the role of the Netherlands – a founding EU member – on the world stage, recently negotiating invitations to G8 and G20 summits.

He first entered the Dutch parliament in 1998 while his party was in opposition. He became the Christian Democratic Appeal, or CDA’s, financial spokesman and was also involved with social affairs, justice, and domestic affairs.

In this role, he advocated a substantial reduction of the national debt and sound public finances. He was elected chairman of the CDA in 2001 and has been prime minister since 2002. Karel De Gucht, a former Belgian foreign minister and now EU humanitarian and development commissioner, once described the bespectacled 53-year-old center-right politician as being “a mix of Harry Potter and [having] a petty, rigid, bourgeois mentality.”

JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER - Luxembourg prime minister

Europe's longest-serving leader, Luxembourg's prime minister has said he will take the post if asked. But he could easily become the immovable object that runs into Tony Blair's irresistible force, with doubts also expressed over a sluggish reaction to the global financial crisis and his recent spats with Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy over bank secrecy laws.

An architect of the EU's Maastricht Treaty, which led to the creation of the euro, he has on many occasions acted as a mediator between bigger nations on contentious EU issues. Le Monde, the French daily, quoted Juncker as saying in an interview that he would listen favorably to calls to serve as president.

But the chairman of the group of finance ministers whose countries use the euro later denied putting his name forward. The 54-year-old politician said in an interview published last week that he thought he would not have much chance of getting the job if he were a candidate. Underlining the need for a leader committed to consensus, he told the Luxembourger Wort: “This [post] is not about personal glory or taking an ego trip into extra time.”

VAIRA VIKE-FREIBERGA - Former Latvian president

Called “the Iron Lady of the East” by some politicians, the former president has a colorful life story, but diplomats rate her chances as slim even if the symbolic value of appointing a woman will tempt some.

She steered her former Soviet Republic nation into NATO and the EU as president for two terms between 1999 and 2007. Vike-Freiberga's family fled the Soviet occupation of Latvia after World War II and she lived in Germany and Morocco before moving to Canada where she pursued an international academic career as a psychology professor.

She returned to Latvia from Canada in 1998, becoming president the following year. Vike-Freiberga has no party affiliation, considers herself a centrist and backed the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

Lithuania's Foreign Minister Vygaudas Usackas said she would be “a dynamic new face for Europe, with robust, strategic visions.” Vike-Freiberga, who was Eastern Europe's first female head of state after the collapse of the Soviet bloc, said she was furious at suggestions that the post should go to a male. “Those people who say that should wash their mouths out with soap,” Vike-Freiberga told The Times.

WOLFGANG SCHUESSEL - Former Austrian chancellor

The 64-year-old former Austrian chancellor is an outside bet, but as a conservative he could be well placed to win the support of EU leaders.

Austria has never had a significant figure at the top of the Brussels hierarchy, despite becoming a member in 1995. Nevertheless, it is at the heart of Europe and a participant in all the EU's major initiatives such as the Schengen border-free accord and the euro.

Wolfgang Schuessel maintains good relations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. However, some nations reproach him for opening his coalition government to the Freedom Party of nationalist leader Joerg Haider in 1999.

For a period, Austria was shunned by the rest of the European Union members but Schuessel was later praised for weakening the Freedom Party's influence, leading to its fall from grace and eventual internal division.

Schuessel may seem like a dark horse in this presidential race, but could attract German support. During Austria’s term as president of the European Council in 2001, he promised to lead the EU “hand in hand” with Germany. This led to diplomats describing the Austrian presidency as "the small German presidency," according to French newspaper Le Figaro.

JOHN BRUTON - Former Irish prime minister

The 62-year-old former Irish prime minister currently holds the key role of EU ambassador to the United States. As his five-year term is nearing to an end, John Bruton has recently thrown his hat into the ring for the EU presidency.

In Ireland, he headed up a three-party coalition government between 1994 and 1997 at a crucial time for the Northern Ireland peace process.

His supporters also credit him with putting the Republic of Ireland on the road to prosperity that would last up to a decade. His profile as “the EU's man in Washington” and his time served as the vice-president of the center-right European People's Party, or EPP, give him significant name recognition in Brussels and could make him a strong outside bet.

OTHERS IN THE FRAME

TOOMAS HENDRIK ILVES: The Estonian government put forward President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, a centrist politician, as a contender for both the EU presidency and the new foreign affairs post this month.

FELIPE GONZALEZ: Spain has lobbied on behalf of Felipe Gonzalez, who was the country's prime minister from 1982 until 1996, but his chances appear to have receded, as he has not been in power for many years.

PAAVO TAPIO LIPPONEN: Former journalist Paavo Tapio Lipponen was prime minister of Finland from 1995 to 2003, and introduced the concept of a European constitution in a speech in 2000.

Possible names for foreign policy post 

MASSIMO D'ALEMA - Former Italian prime minister

The 60-year-old former Italian prime minister has strong support among European socialists but his communist past may be too much for Britain to swallow. Massimo D'alema, who also served as Italian foreign minister in the late 1990s, also suffers from his poor mastery of the English language. EU’s current foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, recently gave him a ringing endorsement, saying D'Alema would make a great high representative for the bloc. “I think he could carry out the work in an excellent manner,” Solana said.

MIGUEL ANGEL MORATINOS - Spanish foreign minister

The Spanish Foreign Minister has recently been pushed into the frame by his prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. The 58-year-old minister has led Spain's rapprochement with Cuba, encouraging the rest of the EU to do the same. However, his country's failure to recognize Kosovo's independence could hurt his chances. Between 1996 and 2003, Moratinos was the European Union Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process. In 2007, Moratinos served as the chairman-in-office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

OLLI REHN - EU’s Enlargement Commissioner

The 47-year-old Finnish politician, who is also a well-known figure in Turkey, is currently serving as European Commissioner for Enlargement. Olli Rehn's appointment to the enlargement post was seen as a slight disappointment for Finland, who had hoped for their nominee to be given a portfolio relating to economic issues. He favors Turkey’s EU membership but has stressed the importance of greater respect for human rights and civil liberties as preconditions for entry. Recently, his name has come up as a potential presidential candidate for the 2012 election in Finland.

OTHERS IN THE FRAME

CATHERINE ASHTON: Currently Britain's EU Trade Commissioner, the 53-year-old baroness is rapidly acquiring a reputation in Brussels for quiet but effective diplomacy. Catherine Ashton’s chance has started to rise after her fellow British Foreign Secretary David Miliband declared himself out of the race.

ELISABETH GUIGOU: The 63-year-old former French European affairs minister, closely involved in the creation of the EU's Maastricht Treaty.

CARL BILDT: Former Swedish Prime Minister and ex-leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party, Carl Bildt has served as Swedish Foreign Minister since 2006.