New EU President to be announced by Thursday [RTE]

[FutureTaoiseach]

We were discussing the European Council. You have suddenly introduced the Council of the European Union. If you don't know the difference, you need to educate yourself.

I meant the European Council sorry. Edited.

[adamtaylor]

This is the first time that the Presidency of the Council becomes an office as opposed to a chairmanship that rotates between all member states. Taken with QMV to choose the President, it undermines equality between all member states and represents a shift in power from the small states to the Big States, as I and the no side warned in the campaign itself. Despite the fact that the first EU President will likely come from a small state, the veto 4 Big States will have on all appointments to this position means they are now calling the tune. They will effectively decide what will and will not come up for discussion on the European Council, and that is bad for small countries and entrenches the power of the Big States to dominate the small.

I guess you want to completley ignore the reality.

I'll give an explanation, that you probably knew, but decided not to use it, as it didn't serve your obscure purpose.

The agenda of the European Council is set now by the General Affairs Council (officialy General Affairs ad Externa Relation Council). The General Affairs is presided by the rotating presidency.

The Lisbon Treaty doesn't change that. The President of the Euroepan Council will not decide the Agenda of the European Council, he will be informed, and consluted, as it is the case now with the President of the Commission.

Read the Article 15 paragraph 6 where all the responsibilities of the President of the European Council are listed, and you won't find setting the Agenda of the European Council. Why? because it is in the Article 16 paragrph 6 under the responsibility of the General Affairs Council "in liaison with the President of the Euroean Council". In legal terms I belive you know what that means, that the General Affairs is the one that decides and consults the President as well...

You can read this interesting article of Jamie Smyth and then go out drink a beer with your friends, bash the Lisbon Treaty, bash the EU as a whole and move on!