Lajcák in the lead for Balkan top job

Miroslav Lajcák, the former EU envoy to Montenegro, has emerged as the front-runner to become the international community’s powerful proconsul in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Lajcák, a 44-year-old career diplomat who is currently head of political affairs at Slovakia’s ministry of foreign affairs, spearheaded the EU’s efforts to manage the break-up of Serbia and Montenegro. He won plaudits for his handling of the sensitive situation which culminated in Montenegro’s independence on 3 June 2006.

Member states had until the end of March to put forward their candidates for the post of EU special representative and the international community’s high representative in Bosnia. The holder of the dual post has the power to veto laws and sack ministers.

The incumbent EU envoy in Bosnia, German diplomat Christian Schwarz-Schilling, will step down at the end of June.

Although Lajcák’s was the only name officially to be put forward, he could still face some difficulties in obtaining the post.

Diplomats said that Russia and the US, which both have to approve the appointment of the high representative, have expressed concerns about Lajcák.

The US is anxious about Slovakia’s stance on Kosovo’s future status. Slovakia has expressed reservations about proposals from UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari that would create an independent Kosovo supervised by the EU.

Russia is said to be sceptical about a central European taking up the post.

Lajcák is close to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and speaks fluent Serbo-Croat, which he learnt during his four years as Slovak ambassador to Yugoslavia.

One diplomat, who described Lajcák as "outstanding", pointed out that "in these things the first name to come forward can find it difficult to succeed".

Considering how highly political the distribution of appointments between member states is, an Italian candidate would be well placed to take the post following the retirement of Aldo Ajello, who headed the EU’s diplomatic efforts in the Democratic of Congo and neighbouring countries.

Stefano Sannino, a former diplomatic adviser to previous Commission president Romano Prodi and ambassador in Belgrade for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, had been touted as one possible successor to Schwarz-Schilling, but he recently returned to Italy to serve Prodi in his capacity as Italian prime minister.

Diplomats said that France also considered putting forward a candidature but in the end failed to do so.

Time may now favour Lajcák’s candidature, with less than three months to go before Schwarz-Schilling steps down.

The veteran German diplomat initially won plaudits when he came to the post in 2005 for his commitment to transfer power to the Bosnian government. But recently he has been criticised for an apparent failure to engage and his hands-off approach.

Schwarz-Schilling had vowed to be the last high representative in Bosnia, hoping that Bosnian politicians would take responsibility for governing their own country. But he failed to secure reform of the police and the constitution, the conditions he set out for handing over power.

If Lajcák gets the job, he will be the latest in a series of senior officials in the foreign ministry and defence ministries to leave the government in Bratislava since the cabinet of Róbert Fico was formed in July 2006.

Fico has been heavily criticised for his decision to form a coalition with the far-right SMS party. The Socialist Group in the European Parliament ejected Fico’s party from its ranks as a result.

Miroslav Lajcák, the former EU envoy to Montenegro, has emerged as the front-runner to become the international community’s powerful proconsul in Bosnia and Herzegovina.