Romanian MEP bids for EU foreign policy job 

While older EU members are scrambling over whether to nominate former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to the post of EU Council president, a politician from the last wave of enlargement is preparing a bid to join the EU's "trio of tenors," a high-level source told EurActiv. 

The Lisbon Treaty, which still needs to be ratified by the Czech Republic, creates two new prominent positions alongside the president of the European Commission: a permanent president of the EU Council and a foreign policy chief, who will also be external affairs commissioner. 

As a former deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister, Adrian Severin's bid is not to be taken lightly. He is seen as a Parliament heavyweight given his position as foreign policy vice-chair for the Socialist & Democrats (S&D) group, and has held high positions in the UN, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Council of Europe and the Convention on the Future of Europe. 

Severin is currently in the USA co-chairing a Parliament delegation and was not readily available for comment. 

Romania's strategy appears to be based on the assumption that the Council president post will go to a representative of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), therefore increasing the likelihood that the job of high representative will go to a socialist. 

"There are in fact only two serious candidates: [UK Foreign Secretary David] Miliband and Severin," an S&D group insider said, ruling out other centre-left candidacies such as former German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, former Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato and former French Minister Elisabeth Guigou. 

However, while Miliband himself would prefer to become Labour leader at home, Severin is readily available, the source further elaborated. 

Barroso needs a socialist in the 'trio' capable of winning votes for the next Commission's approval by the Parliament, said another source in the EU assembly. He added that Severin was seen as capable of bringing more votes than Miliband. Moreover, Severin could become extremely value to Barroso during the two-and-a-half years that the Parliament will be led by a Socialist, the official said. 

Asked whether European People's Party-affiliated Romanian President Traian Basescu would stand for Severin, a Romanian source said this was an opportunity that the head of state would not miss: "Exactly in the same way that the Spanish and Portuguese Socialist prime ministers strongly supported Barroso," he explained.