Herman Van Rompuy

By Hamish Macdonald in Europe on November 20th, 2009

 The US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger once famously asked the question "Who do I call if I want to call Europe?" Now, for the very first time we have the answer to that question.

Baroness Cathy Ashton has been appointed Europe’s High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy. In an interview with Aljazeera just moments after being chosen for the position she declared that she is the person Kissinger would call.

By Hamish Macdonald in Europe on November 18th, 2009
Photos by AFP

We've spent the day wading through the murky waters of European politics. Leaders from across Europe arrive here in Brussels on Thursday to choose the first ever President of the European Council.

But we really have no idea who they are going to choose. The process has already been described as "secretive" - so much so, the former Latvian President Vaire Vike-Freiberga (herself a candidate) told the Times newspaper that the EU should:

"stop working like the former Soviet Union"

There is much debate about whether to choose a tough, high profile leader in order to affirm Europe's role on the world stage, or alternatively appoint a low key consensus politician from one of the smaller EU states. Both options have their critics.