Under the Reform Treaty there will be a permanent President of the European Council to replace the rotating six-month presidency we had so far.

However, there will still be a President of the European Commission. The European Commission will retain legislative initiative and be the executive branch (and civil service) of the EU.

In addition, there will be a High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, to replace both Solana's current position (associated with the Council) and the Commissioner for External Relations.

And then there will be the President of the European Parliament.

The "EU President" won't get to "run the EU". The President of the Commission will still get to do that. They won't represent the Eu internationally, the HRCFSP will do that.

I'm sick of the media frame that says that everything happens in the European Council. It only benefits the member states and people like Sarkozy and Blair, to the detriment of the Union.

We have met the enemy, and he is us — Pogo