The EU job caroussel is starting to turn

It is impossible to summarise the EUobserver article discussing more and less probable changes in the filling of top EU-jobs after the next European Parliament elections.

This is why I would just like to present you the list of names and short remarks for each of them:

• Jose Manuel Barroso: wants to stay in office
• Jacques Barrot: wants to stay in office
• Catherine Ashton: wants to stay in office
• Antonio Tajani: wants to stay in office
• Neelie Kroes: wants to stay in office
• Stavros Dimas: wants to remain in the Commission
• Vladimir Spidla: wants to remain in the Commission
• Benita Ferrero-Waldner: wants to remain in the Commission
• Meglena Kuneva: wants to remain in the Commission
• Olli Rehn: wants to remain in the Commission
• Siim Kallas: wants to remain in the Commission
• Poul Nyrup Rasmussen: could follow Barroso
• Ms Kroes: could be replaced by conservative or left-wingers - Hanja Maij-Weggen, Karla Peijs, Cees Veerman, Frans Timmermans, Dick Benschop
• Jacques Barrot: could be replaced by Michel Barnier
• Javier Solana: could be replaced by Carl Bildt or Bernard Kouchner
• Ferrero-Waldner: wants energy-climate Commission post, but might be replaced by Maria Berger
• Andris Piebalgs: might go back to Latvian diplomatic service
• Mary Harney: might come to Brussels
• Charlie McCreevy: will probably change into the private sector
• Louis Michel: leaves
• Karel De Gucht: comes
• Günther Verheugen: leaves and might be replaced by Martin Schulz, Wolfgang Schäuble, Edmund Stoiber, Roland Koch, Peter Altmaier, or Peter Hintze
• Danuta Huebner: leaves to industry or private life and could be replaced by Jan Krzysztof Bielecki
• Jerzy Buzek: might become EP President

I suppose that this list will change over the next months, but at least this is a sign that things start to move and to roll and to turn over there in Brussels and in the European capitals.

It is also the sign that EU posts are becoming a bit more relevant, a bit more interesting, a bit more debated than in the past. I hope the political actors will be able to transport this into their campaigns, making citizens aware about what and about whom they are actually deciding.

Oh yes, and before I forget it:

Anyone but Barroso for EU Commission President!