Published at: www.nytimes.com
November 21, 2009
The new President of the European Council, Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, and high representative for foreign and security policy, Catherine Ashton, are both low profile personalities in new high profile positions. Both also have limited EU and international experience. Van Rompuy's strength is his ability to build consensus. Baroness Ashton, EU Trade Commissioner for the past year, may have the highest profile position of the two.