Speculaties over opvolger Prodi bij Europese Commissie (en)

The election of a new President of the European Commission by next June could be a harder task than ever, writes French daily Le Monde.

Romano Prodi's successor - who ends his mandate in November - could be especially difficult to choose this year because of complications arising from enlargement and from the failure to agree on the Constitution.

Despite this, several names are in contention for the job.

Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis is among the most recent names mentioned along with Belgium's Guy Verhofstadt and Luxembourg's Jean-Claude Juncker. Former Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen has also been mentioned.

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen or former Belgian Prime Minister and vice president of the Convention Jean-Luc Dehaene are among other names that have been touted.

No Constitution, but more members

The absence of an agreed Constitutional text complicates matters because the Constitution foresaw the establishment of two new European jobs: the President of the Council and a European Foreign Minister. The failure of the talks may make it harder to negotiate other top EU jobs.

The choice is further complicated by the link between the Commission President and the results of the European elections in June. The appointment of a Commission President should normally take into account the make-up of the European Parliament and the President should be chosen from the same or similar political party to the group that holds the majority.

On top of all this comes enlargement. This takes place in May and will make the task even more difficult. The decision, which is a complicated one even among 15 current member states, must then be taken among 25.

EU leaders elect the European Commission President by qualified majority and need to have their choice approved by the European Parliament.