With whom governs Ashton (4): the first names of the “Top ten” of the diplomatic service

(BRUSSELS2) In the future diplomatic service of the EU, as I was able to apprehend it, we should find the following names. There recruitment procedure has just been launched for the Top Ten" pending the launch of another procedure for the other 80 managers.

I. A balanced leadership quartet

The management quartet as anticipated (this may still change) achieves a certain geographical, institutional and political syncretism. Each of the prospective candidates has a diplomatic and political career (in cabinet or at ministerial level), at the level of the Member States but also in, or with, the European institutions. We can only note that if these names are confirmed, the diplomatic service could start under good auspices, with personalities who are both confirmed, competent, and very diverse. On the other hand, on the geographical side, in the state of known names, we can notice that certain nationalities (Spanish, Italian, Belgian...) are not yet well represented.

Executive Secretary General: Pierre Vimont (French)

« For this position, you need someone of a certain stature, there are not 10.000 people to have this profile and be available “says a relative of Cathy Ashton. Vimont actually has the build: an outstanding diplomat, a fine connoisseur of the mysteries of the European Union. He is now French Ambassador to Washington (since July 2007) after being a permanent representative in Brussels and holding several positions as directors of ministerial cabinets.

Born June 15, 1949, after the ENA, he opted for a diplomatic career. The French Embassy in London was his first post, first as second secretary and then first secretary (1977-1981). When the left was appointed to power, he held the strategic position of information and the press at the Quai d'Orsay (1981-1985, Claude Cheysson was then Minister of Foreign Affairs) then moved to the Institute for East-West security problems in New York.

In 1986, he made his first stay at the Permanent Representation in Brussels (until 1990). He was then Director of the Cabinet of the Minister Delegate for European Affairs (1990-1993 with Elisabeth Guigou) before occupying several positions at the Quai d'Orsay (Director of Development and Scientific, Technical and Educational Cooperation, Deputy Director General of cultural, scientific and technical, director of European cooperation). In 1999, he returned to Brussels as ambassador - permanent representative, before becoming in 2002 chief of staff to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (first De Villepin then Michel Barnier and Philippe Douste-Blazy).

Chief Operating Officer: Peter O'Sullivan (Irish)

current Director General of DG Foreign Trade

Born in 1953, a graduate of Trinity College in Dublin and the College of Europe in Bruges (1975 and 1976), this Irish diplomat came to live at the European Commission, in the External Relations DG. He was posted to the Tokyo delegation before returning to Brussels, in the cabinets of Irish Commissioners Peter Sutherland (Competition and Social Affairs, 1985-1989), and Commissioner Padraig Flynn (Employment and Social Affairs, 1993-1996). After a stint at DG Employment and then as Director General of DG Education, he became Romano Prodi's chief of staff in June 1999, when the former Italian Prime Minister took over as head of the European Commission. He took over as head of the General Secretariat of the European Commission a year later, where he remained for five years (June 2000-2005). In 2005, he became Director General of DG Trade (External Trade), first to British Commissioner Peter Mandelson and then to Baroness Cathy Ashton.

Deputy General Secretary: Helga Schmid (German)

Currently head of the Council's Policy Unit.

Born on December 8, 1960, graduated from the University of Münich and Paris-Sorbonne, in English and Romance languages, literature, history and politics, she began her diplomatic career in 1988, notably as press and communication officer at the German Embassy in Washington (1991-1994).

She then worked as a political adviser in the cabinets of Foreign Ministers Klaus Kinkel (1994-1998) and Joshka Fischer (1998-2000), for whom she was subsequently one of the heads of the cabinet, first as deputy head (of 2000 to 2003) then as chef (from 2003 to the end of 2005). In 2006, she joined Brussels and the cabinet of Javier Solana, to assume the direction of the early warning and political planning unit (Policy Unit).

Deputy Secretary General: Mikołaj Dowgielewicz (Polish).

Currently Secretary of State for European Affairs, in charge of preparing for the Polish presidency, he is the youngest of the quartet. But his career was quick.

Born in 1972, Mikołaj studied at the University of Social Sciences in Warsaw, at the University of Hull (United Kingdom) then at the College of Europe in Natolin. Joined the political cabinet of the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (1998-2000), then adviser to the President of the Commission for European Laws of the Polish Diet (2000-2001) and Head of the Academic Service of the College of Europe (2002-2003) , he then joined Brussels first as press adviser to the President of the European Parliament, the liberal Pat Cox (2003-2004), then as spokesperson for the Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Communication, the Swedish ( Social Democrat) Margot Wallström (2004-2007), before joining his cabinet (2007). He returned to Warsaw with the victory of the civic platform and became from 2007 to 2009, secretary then Secretary of State of the committee for European integration.

(update) Warning ! a change could affect this appointment. And another name is now mentioned. Read : Polish hiccup in the diplomatic service quartet…

II. The other directors of the diplomatic service

Among the other positions, several names are often cited

- Among the half-dozen "managing directors", one could find Christian Leffler (Swedish), Hughes Mingarelli (French) or Stefano Sannino (Italian).

- The Strategy and Policy Planning Department could be staffed by robert cooper (British), former Director General of DG E (External Affairs) of the Council.

To this must be added the office of the High Representative headed by James Morrison (British). Read : The "boys & girls band" by Lady Ashton (January 2010)

III. Civil-military structures attached to the High Representative

These structures often obey a different tempo than purely civil appointments.

- HR Military Advisor: see below, Chairman of the Military Committee (Swedish)

- EU Military Staff (EUMS): General Ton Van Osch (Dutch). He just took office last May to replace British General Leakey.

Lire: New EU Chief of Staff comes to Lady Ashton's rescue.

Assistant: Rear Admiral Fernando Lista (Spanish)

- Civil-Military Directorate (CMPD): Claude France Arnould (French).
One of the best connoisseurs of Defense Europe. Appointed in November 2009, at the head of this direction which brings together civil and military planners who, in the shadows, prepare and concretely implement European Defense, she could be a victim of "too many" French described by some commentators. That would be a mistake in my opinion. Because it is one of the essential cogs in the PeSDC. And (incidentally) one of the only women "in the lead" with Helga Schmid. Read : Claude-France Arnould takes the helm of the new management

- Civilian Staff (CPCC): Kees Klompenhouwer (Dutch). He took up his duties in May 2008, as head of "Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability". Read : The first head of the civilian chain of command to report

- Intelligence Center (SitCen): Patrice Bergamini (French). He has just been appointed as "acting" director in place of Britain's William Shapcott, who left as Director General of Personnel at the Council of the European Union. Read : L'OSS Bergamini takes the head of European "Intelligence"

IV. Committees and working groups

Non-members of the diplomatic service as such, even if they appear on the new organization chart, these committees and working groups ensure the representation of the Member States (one representative per State) and the concrete preparation of the decisions of the European Union within the Council. They are an essential cog in the wheel of foreign policy, and even more of defense policy, the latter remaining essentially within the competence of the Member States, even if we are witnessing, in spirit and in text, a "gentle " (1) under the impetus of the High Representative and the Treaty of Lisbon. The presidency of all these committees will, in time, be ensured by a fixed personality, appointed by the High Representative, and no longer by the rotating presidency of the EU (as for the other committees and working groups of the Council). This permanent chairman may, however, be either a member of the diplomatic service or another personality (from the Member States) designated by the High Representative.

- EU Military Committee (EUMC): General Hakan Syren (Swedish). Fixed chairmanship from the creation of this committee. Elected by his peers, for three years,
he took office in November 2009 and his mandate therefore runs until November 2012. He also serves as military adviser to the High Representative

Lire: A Swedish general, future head of the EU military committee

- Political and Security Committee (COPS): this is currently chaired, on behalf of the HR, by the Belgian ambassador to the COPS. But to ensure the fixed presidency, it is Olof Skoog (Swedish), current ambassador to the COPS, who today seems to hold the "pole position". (NB: among other potential candidates, the names of the Frenchwoman Christine Roger or the Belgian ambassador to the COPS have sometimes been put forward, who would thus find an extension to her mandate).

- ESDP and PESC committees (PMG, CivCOM, COARM...(2)): the presidency was to be fixed from July 1st. But, for the time being, it remains entrusted to the representative of the rotating presidency (Belgium) who exercises the presidency in the name - and under the instructions - of the High Representative.

- Geographical Committees (3): fixed chairmanship from 1 January 2011, appointed by the High Representative (probably within her administration).

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

Also read in the series "With who rules Ashton":

1. The "boys & girls band" by Lady Ashton. His cabinet (January 2010)

2. The External Action Service (March 2010)

3. EU Heads of Mission (April 2010)

(1) Term used in reference to the Economic and Monetary Union which establishes "hard" convergence (using quantified objectives of community structures and binding instruments, by depriving the States of coining money).

(2) Politico-military group (PMG), civilian crisis management group (CIVCOM), arms policy (COARM) — as well as certain horizontal foreign policy committees (PESC): the Nicolaidais Group (which supports the CFSP, COHOM (human rights), COSCE (Osce and Council of Europe), CONUN (United Nations, protocol and administrative affairs of the CFSP (COADM), CODUN (arms control and disarmament ), CONOP (non-proliferation), COARM (conventional arms export).

(3) Geographical Committees: Mashreq/Maghreb (COMAG/Mama), Central Asia and Eastern Europe (COEST), Balkans (COWEB), Middle East (COMEM'MOG), Asia Oceania (COASI), Latin America ( COLAT), Transatlantic Relations (COTRA), Africa (COATR).