Sarkozy lines up Michel Barnier for elite EPP role

By Simon Taylor

Date: 09/03/06

Former French foreign minister and ex-commissioner Michel Barnier is almost certain to be named new vice-president of the European People's Party (EPP) at the group's party congress in Rome on 30-31 March.

Barnier has been nominated by Nicolas Sarkozy, French interior minister and president of the ruling UMP, as the party's candidate for the vice-president post.

Wilfried Martens, president of the EPP, indirectly confirmed that Barnier would get the job, saying that Barnier was France's only candidate for one of the ten posts of vice-president and that it was "excluded" that France would not secure one of the positions.

Sarkozy is reported to have raised the issue of Barnier's candidature in meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish Partido Popular leader Mariano Rajoy.

The official decision to appoint Barnier will be taken by formal vote at the EPP's congress. If elected, he would take over as vice-president from Pierre Lequillier, who was the French parliament's representative in the Convention which produced the first draft of the EU's constitutional treaty.

Sarkozy's move to install Barnier in a key position of influence within the EPP is part of a series of steps to recruit figures with a high political profile and experience to his team of supporters. The former commissioner is expected to become a sort of shadow foreign minister to Sarkozy in the run-up to the presidential elections in 2007.

Barnier, traditionally seen as close to Dominique de Villepin until the French prime minister dumped him from the cabinet without offering him another post, declared his support for Sarkozy's presidential campaign on 7 March.

Martens said that thanks to Barnier's experience as foreign minister, European commissioner and his role in the Convention, he would play an "important role in the external relations" of the party.

During the Convention, Barnier drafted a paper on improving the effectiveness of European security and defence policy, elements of which were included in the final version of the constitution text.

Sarkozy is also lobbying for UMP MEP Alain Lamassoure to have a stronger role in the EPP by allowing him to attend the summit of EPP heads of state and government which takes place on the first day of each European Council. Martens said this request was "absolutely acceptable". Over recent years, the EPP summit, which is usually held in Meise outside Brussels, has played an important role in co-ordinating the positions of EPP member governments, most notably on the EU constitution or on whether Turkey should become a full EU member or be limited to a privileged partnership.

Lamassoure, a constitutional and budgetary affairs expert, is highly regarded by Sarkozy. Some of the MEP's ideas cropped up in a recent speech given by the French interior minister in Berlin in mid-February, including the idea of a 'Grand Convention' looking at reform of the EU's funding mechanisms as well as future treaty reforms to improve its effectiveness.

Article reports that the former French Foreign Minister and ex-European Commissioner Michel Barnier was almost certain to be named new Vice-President of the European People's Party (EPP) at the group's party congress in Rome on 30-31 March 2006.

• Primary Source

EPP-ED: Homepage http://www.epp-ed.org/home/en/default.asp

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