Scheveningen, 10/09/2004 (Agence Europe) - The Ministers of the twelve States of the euro zone, meeting in Scheveningen on Friday for their informal Ecofin Council, appointed themselves a permanent President in the person of Jean-Claude Juncker, whose term will start on the first of January 2005, for a period of two years renewably. This decision, which was shortly followed by that of the appointment to the post of Vice-President of Eurogroup of the Austrian Karl-Heinz Grasser, aims to boost the autonomy and the visibility of those of the Member States which share the single currency.
Upon arrival in the Dutch seaside town, their suitcases bulging with highly important dossiers, the issue of a permanent President for their Eurogroup was one issue on which ministers were keen to take a decision on Friday. The name of their choice should come as no surprise to anyone, and all that was really expected was the official announcement that Jean-Claude Juncker has been nominated to the post. Upon his arrival, the Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Luxembourg, merely smiled back at journalists who, by way of putting the question to him, predicted that he would have a good day.
In fact, the only elements of concern were the duration, and an opportunity to look at reform, and these mainly for Austria and Finland. These two countries, which will take up the Presidency of the EU one after the other in 2006, would have chaired all debates within the Eurogroup had this reform not come to pass. The appointment of the Austrian Finance Minister to the post of Vice-President, by way of concession, seems to have met with their approval. Mr Grasser will take up his duties at the same time as Mr Juncker, but for a period of one and a half years. The post of Vice-President will then devolve to the Finnish minister when Finland takes up the Presidency of the EU, in the second half of 2006.
Before the Eurogroup lunch, the Austrian Minister, who seemed very relaxed, seemed to have lost his reservations about a permanent presidency, as it will "reinforce economic and budgetary co-ordination". "On the one hand, we have a centralised monetary policy, and on the other, we do not really have a co-ordinated budgetary and structural policy", he said, adding that "if there was the opportunity to take a large step forward, this would be a good idea". Now that this step has been taken, Mr Grasser sees it as a "great honour for Austria". Mr Juncker, a good deal more talkative once his appointment was in the bag, admitted that it had not really been all that much of a surprise: "my name had done the rounds of the press so many times that this time, I really could not say no". Refusing to divulge a working programme before the time comes, he said that "Eurogroup's objective will be to try to bring together all elements that work in favour of growth in Europe".