No clear successorto Prodi

Barely a month before European Union leaders are due to select a new president of the executive European Commission to succeed Romano Prodi in November, the race is getting murkier rather than clearer. Four names are in the public frame - Belgian Prime...

Barely a month before European Union leaders are due to select a new president of the executive European Commission to succeed Romano Prodi in November, the race is getting murkier rather than clearer.

Four names are in the public frame - Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, British External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten, Portuguese Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Antonio Vitorino and outgoing European Parliament President Pat Cox.

But each has his drawbacks, raising the possibility of a last-minute dark horse emerging when EU leaders meet on June 17-18 - perhaps even Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, the skilled political fixer in charge of finding a candidate.

According to the EU's informal rotation principle, the Commission presidency should go this time to a centre-right politician from a small, north European state, after being held for five years by a centre-left former Italian prime minister.

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