Solana in beeld als kandidaat voor opvolging Prodi (en)

A new name has joined those being considered by EU leaders as candidates to take over as President of the European Commission in autumn: Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief.

According to the Financial Times, Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero will meet his UK counterpart Tony Blair in London today (3 June) to discuss the issue.

The newspaper says that London is showing signs of supporting Mr Solana as an alternative to Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt, who is currently one of the favourites on the shortlist.

Although Mr Verhofstadt appears to have the support of French president Jacques Chirac, he is considered too federalist and pro-European to curry favour with London.

Two of the other names in the hat - external relations commissioner Chris Patten and Danish prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen - are thought unlikely to get the position as they both come from countries that are outside the eurozone.

Outgoing President of the European Parliament Pat Cox is also interested in filling Commission President Romano Prodi's shoes, but some have criticised his lack of executive experience as he has never been in government.

Discreet diplomacy

Mr Solana, whose name has already been put forward for the post of the EU's first foreign minister should the EU Constitution be agreed, is popular among EU capitals for his discreet diplomacy and for the way he has handled the post of EU High Representative for foreign policy since 1999.

Irish prime minister and current head of the EU Bertie Ahern is also in London today with the appointment of a new commission president at the top of his discussion agenda with Mr Blair.

Mr Ahern is currently carrying out a whirlwind tour of EU capitals to try and forge agreement on this and on outstanding issues in the European Constitution.

EU leaders are to nominate a new name for Commission President when they meet later this month.