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BRUSSELS: European leaders will try to set divisions aside on Thursday to choose their first-ever European Union president to represent the 27-nation bloc on the world stage.
The leaders, meeting in Brussels for a working dinner from 1700 GMT, will also seek to name a foreign policy supremo, in nominations that will be a litmus test of their ambitions for the new-look EU from 2010.
But differences over political affiliations, geographical considerations and even gender have sucked credibility from the process, even as the leaders bicker over what role the new president should play, possibly for five years.
"I've been talking four working days and nights," Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency until the end of the year, said on the eve of the summit.
"Do we get these new figures tomorrow night? Well, I don't know, it might take a few hours, it might take all night," he said. Perhaps ambitiously, a closing press conference is scheduled for 9:15 pm (2015 GMT).
Of the candidates, Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy remains the favourite, while former British premier Tony Blair, still championed by London, is perhaps too high-profile, and potentially divisive, for many.
The centre of gravity appears to be a president who can build consensus among countries and the EU's main institutions - the council of nations for the 27 member states, the European Commission and the European parliament.
Yet no candidate among the 20 or so whose names have circulated has been able to strike the delicate balance required for either of the key posts, created by the new Lisbon reform treaty.
Typically, a number of candidates have emerged from mid-sized pro-European nations, such as Van Rompuy and Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende.
Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, Europe's longest-serving leader, is also in the running, as is former Irish premier John Bruton.
Calls have mounted for women to be nominated, but only former Latvian president Vaira Vike-Freiberga has come forward, and analysts said she may be too pro-American and anti-Russian.
"Today is an important day, a moment of truth for European democracy. In terms of gender equality at the top of the EU, it is not looking good," European Commission Vice-President Margot Wallstroem said.
While it is not set in stone, it is widely accepted that the president should come from the centre-right, which dominates the European parliament, and the foreign affairs chief be a socialist, from the second grouping.
For the latter, Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband was widely touted, but he insists he is not available.
Former Italian premier Massimo D'Alema appears to have the right credentials and Spain is pushing Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, while Britain's EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton is another possibility.
Ahead of the talks, Britain's press stepped up attacks over jostling for the top jobs, predicting "unmemorable winners," and poking fun at the Belgian frontrunner for EU president.
The Independent said: "The finals of the European Job Contest will take place in Brussels tonight, without the cheap glitter of the musical version but with the same sort of secret, national horse-trading and, most probably, the same kind of unmemorable winners."
If the horse-trading cannot produce consensus candidates, the choice can technically be made with a qualified majority vote.
- AFP/sc
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