To Europe’s Heads of State and Government:
The world will be watching when you select a candidate to lead the EU’s foreign and security policy on 30 August. With planes being shot down over Ukraine, the Middle East descending further into sectarianism, and tensions mounting in Asia, this is not a time for novices.
Your fellow citizens expect you to appoint what Jean-Claude Juncker described as a “strong and experienced player” to co-ordinate the EU’s policy and review its global strategy.
We hope you will encourage the Commission President to back this candidate with new specialist posts for the Southern Mediterranean and the Eastern Neighbourhood, and the authority to coordinate the work of other Commissioners whose portfolios touch upon foreign and security policy such as trade, development and humanitarian aidT
We call on you to put aside narrow interests about geographical balances, quotas, and personalities to select the strongest candidate. Europe’s standing in the world is in your hands.
Esther Alcocer Koplowitz; Franziska Brantner; Erhard Busek; Daniel Daianu; Jose M de Areilza Carvajal; Pavol Demes; Andrew Duff; Hans Eichel; Lykke Friis; Heather Grabbe; Charles Grant; Ulrike Guerot; Diego Hidalgo; Wolfgang Ischinger; Gerald Knaus; David Koranyi; Meglena Kuneva; Sonja Licht; Irene Lozano; Nickolay Mladenov; Alina Mungiu-Pippidi; Dietmar Nietan; Christine Ockrent; Andrzej Olechowski; Mabel van Oranje; Andres Ortega; Ana Palacio; Simon Panek; Laurence Parisot; Ruprecht Polenz; Charles Powell; Andrew Puddephatt; Robert Reibestein; Adam Daniel Rotfeld; Daniel Sachs; Karel Schwarzenberg; Aleksander Smolar; George Soros; Volker Stanzel; Pawel Swieboda; Vaira Vike Frebeirga; Karla Wursterova; Stelios Zavvos