Ashton's absence from Palma makes people cringe… (updated)

(BRUXLLES2 / In Palma de Mallorca) The absence of Catherine Ashton (the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and the Common Security Policy) from the informal meeting of defense ministers continues to be talked about. " His absence was variously appreciated around the table commented Hervé Morin, the French Minister, in front of some journalists in the early morning. " I find it particularly tasty that we have to discuss the issues of relations between the EU and NATO, that the Secretary General of NATO is there and that there is no one for the EU, for the first meeting in place of the Lisbon Treaty. Comments taken up during the meeting by several ministers: the Belgian Pieter De Crem and the Hungarian Imre Szekeres in particular... (two countries which will succeed Spain for the presidency of the EU). A shared observation, on the German side, unofficially...

Diplomatic warning... " we missed her clarified, very diplomatically, a senior official of the delegation, accompanying his reflection with a frown to make clear the negative meaning of his comment. " It is to be hoped that in the future its agenda will be better planned. » “We especially hope that Mrs Ashton can quickly present us with proposals on the foreign action service. It's time he added explaining how difficult it is to have a discussion at the level
ministerial, with officials of the European administration were around the table, of which it is not clear where they are located in the future hierarchy.

(photo credit: Spanish presidency)