Fury As EU President Appoints Fellow Portuguese As The Community’s Ambassador To Washington—By Lisette Felix, In Washington

The snow in Washington, DC, has at last begun to thaw, but the same cannot be said about attitudes, in some quarters, towards the new European Union Ambassador to the United States of America.

EU President Jose Manuel Barroso’s decision to install fellow Portuguese native, Mr. Joao Vale de Almeida, as the next European Union Ambassador to Washington, DC, drew sharp criticism from another  European, Swedish Foreign Minister, Carl Bildt.

Mr. Bildt wrote to Baroness Catherine Ashton, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, making clear of his annoyance of an appointment, that he believes, did not have any decision input from the other member states. The Lisbon Treaty, which came into force in December, which promotes among other things more openness and transparency between all its European partners, is sorely missing the point there with this appointment it seems. 

Although Mr. Vale De Almeida’s position has now been confirmed, it does seem to go against the ‘new type’ of high level personality the EU had been pursuing when John Bruton, outgoing Ambassador, and ex- Irish Prime minister, was appointed five years ago. Now it seems the EU has gone back to their previous way of doing things. That is, to select someone from within it’s ranks rather than ‘going outside’ once again, to select a ‘more high level’ candidate that is widely recognised by the World’s International Community.

Baroness Ashton, whilst acknowledging that some EU member states were not happy with Mr. Vale de Almeida’s appointment, had only praise for the career diplomat.

 Lisette Felix 24th February 2010

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