Ouverture for the EU top job summit

Just watched the prime ministers and presidents arrive for the EU top job summit in Brussels. Most of them passed the pack of journalists without giving interviews. Those who did did not say much.

Former Commissioner Grybauskaite who is now Lithuanian president said that she is not a candidate. Balkenende from the Netherlands told that the (formal?) nomination would only be on the 1st of December. And the Irish prime minister Cowen told that their candidate John Brutton was still available if there was a consensus around the table.

Most noticeable was the Swedish prime minister Reinfeldt who stood at the entrance of the Council for an hour, greeting the European political high society with handshakes. Some halted for a minute to discuss with him, most just stopped for a photo. Reinfeldt look really nervous and uncomfortable, and he seem tired, too. I think that this might have been the worst week of his political life, and it might be the worst night, too.

At 18:01 he left his place in the lobby to climb up to the European Council meeting in the form of a dinner. The night could be long, and we are waiting for the results to come late.

We may expect surprises, but I am not sure whether they will be positive or negative... (I will stay up all night if necessary.)