18/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - No second mandate for Catherine Ashton. On 16 March, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton stated that she will not continue for a second term of office. “There is no possibility of having a second term. It needs to go to someone else now”, she said during a debate, adding that it is “a great privilege” to be the high representative but that it is a “hard” and “exhausting” job. Ashton did not say, however, if she does not want to stand again or if she thinks that she will not be re-appointed to the post. Her mandate as vice-president of the European Commission officially finishes on 31 October 2014, and that as high representative on 30 November 2014. (CG/transl.fl)