Wise Reflections

European Union leaders on Friday, Dec. 14, appointed Felipe Gonzalez, a former Spanish premier, to head a "reflection group" of European personalities tasked with discussing the bloc's long-term future.

"It's a very happy day for the Spanish people, for Spain, and for Europe," Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos told reporters, according to Reuters news service.

Gonzalez, whose candidacy was backed by the EU's biggest member states, will have two deputies, former Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga and the former chief executive officer of Finnish electronics concern Nokia, Jorma Ollila, diplomats in Brussels said.

The reflection group, first proposed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, is to look at the challenges facing the 27-member bloc over the next two decades.

Wise men against Turkey?

Observers in Brussels had described Sarkozy's original call for a group of "wise men" as a means of blocking Turkey's efforts to join the EU. Germany and Austria also oppose Turkish membership while Britain and Sweden are strongly in favor.

Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer on Friday urged fellow EU leaders to have a more "realistic" approach to enlargement.

"We all know that we've got our hands full," he said. "We have to guarantee peace and stability in the Western Balkans and the EU shouldn't take too much on itself, because if you do too much all at once, it's easy to fail."

Europe's best interests

According to a draft text of the conclusions of Friday's meeting of EU prime ministers and heads of state, the chapter on the reflection group attempts to avoid the controversial topic by making no explicit reference to enlargement.

Instead, it invites the group to "take into account likely developments within and outside Europe and examine in particular how the stability and prosperity of both the Union and of the wider region might best be served in the longer term."

Gonzalez would be expected to appoint his team of "no more than nine" personalities by March 2008 and reach its conclusions by June 2010. People mentioned as possible members of the group include former Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel and European trade union leader John Monks of Britain.

Limited authority

The group would not be allowed to re-open discussions on institutional matters, which were closed with the signing on Thursday of the Lisbon Treaty by EU leaders meeting in the Portuguese capital.

Other subjects for discussion include the EU's economic and social model, sustainable development, migration, global stability, climate change, and the fight against international crime and terrorism.

Representing Old Europe?

Not everyone was excited about the choice.

"If you ever wanted to see Jurrasic Park in reality, then this appointment (of Gonzalez) is just that," British MEP and leader of Europe's Alliance of Liberals and Democrats Graham Watson said, according to Reuters. "It's not about age, but all three of the panel so far represent old Europe."

Gonzalez, 65, was modern Spain's longest-serving prime minister, heading four governments from 1982 to 1996. Taking power seven years after the death of dictator Francisco Franco, Gonzalez is credited with modernizing the country and steering it towards membership in the European Economic Community, the predecessor of the EU, in 1986.

Ollila, 57, won acclaim as the CEO of Nokia, between 1992 and 2006, turning it into one of the world's leading makers of mobile telephones. He stepped down as the company CEO in June 2006, but remained as board chairman. At that time he was also named board chairman of Royal Dutch Shell.

Vike-Freiberga, 70, is a widely-respected former president of Latvia, in office from July 1999 to July 2007. She raised the small Baltic nation's profile in the international arena when she supported the US-led war in Iraq in 2003. She was named special envoy on the reform of the United Nations in 2005 and was an official candidate for the position of secretary general in 2006.