Politicians jockey for top positions

Date: 23/07/1998

Speculation is intensifying over who will get the top jobs in the post-Santer European Commission which takes office in January 2000, almost a year before governments are due to decide on their nominees.

Troublemaking Dutch Liberal leader Frits Bolkestein has decided not to go for the job of foreign minister in the newly established left-right government in The Hague; a post which was his for the taking.

Integrationist EU foreign ministers can breath a sigh of relief - or can they?

The 65-year-old former Royal Dutch/Shell executive has decided instead to remain in the Netherlands' parliament and then stand down after 18 months.

As a result, rumours have started that Bolkestein, whose passions include foreign policy, wants to fulfil a dream by replacing Dutch External Affairs Commissioner Hans van den Broek.

Similarly, Belgian Finance Minister Philippe Maystadt's decision to resign after a decade in the job was not unconnected with his desire to replace Competition Commissioner Karel van Miert, although the post he would love most is that of Economics Commissioner Yves-Thibault de Silguy.