Opvolging Prodi wellicht doorgeschoven naar Nederlands voorzitterschap (en)

Following the failure by EU leaders last week to agree who should be next president, the field remains wide open.

According to Irish media, Ireland's prime minister Bertie Ahern was supported for the job by up to 19 countries at the summit.

The Irish Independent reports that the leaders of both France and the UK are among those that have informally accepted the Mr Ahern for the top Brussels post - although for most of these countries he is not the first choice.

To date, however, Mr Ahern has continued to deny that he is interested in the job and Irish sources say that the post is "not his style".

But, the Irish prime minister is not the only one left in the race - new names continue to surface.

Solana

Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief, is one of them. Originally suggested by London some weeks ago, the Spaniard fuelled speculation that he may be interested in the job over the weekend.

Speaking at a conference near Barcelona, he said "I think there are people who can do it better than I ... but if there was a consensus request by the political leaders of the European Union, it would be very hard for me to say no".

Meanwhile, the Irish Independent reports that John Bruton is also interested in taking over from Romano Prodi. The former Irish prime minister and member of the Convention on Europe (which drew up the Constitution) would reportedly "love" the job.

Barnier, Barroso, Vitorino, Cox

But the names already mooted should not yet be forgotten. While top contenders Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt and UK commissioner Chris Patten have withdrawn their names, others still figure on the secretive non-list.

These include French foreign minister Michel Barnier (unlikely to be accepted by the UK), centre-right Portuguese leader José Manuel Durao Barroso, justice and home affairs commissioner Antonio Vitorino and outgoing president of the European Parliament Pat Cox.

When to have the summit

Causing almost as much headache is when to call the summit to decide on the Commission post. With just two packed weeks to go of the Irish Presidency, there are few free days left.

Mr Ahern will begin telephone consultations today and is likely to suggest 30 June - the last day of the Irish Presidency.

However, he has made it clear that he will not convene a summit if he thinks agreement will not be possible - in that case he will consult with the Netherlands, which takes over the EU presidency on 1 July, on how to proceed.