Castille mum on Dalli's nomination

The office of the Prime Minister yesterday would not say whether Social Policy Minister John Dalli will be nominated as Malta's next European Commissioner despite a meeting between him and Commission president Josè Manuel Barroso in Brussels on Tuesday.

Neither is Mr Dalli making any official comments on the matter even if Malta is among a handful of member states that have still to make their nomination official.

The other member states that have not yet submitted a name include the UK, Spain and Italy because they are still hoping that their candidate for the job of foreign affairs chief and vice-president of the Commission is selected during an extraordinary summit of EU leaders this evening in Brussels. Malta is not aspiring for any of these jobs.

The Times has been told that Mr Barroso and Mr Dalli discussed the portfolio Mr Dalli could possibly have as an EU commissioner, something that is normal for every commissioner-designate. It seems Mr Dalli took the opportunity of the meeting to indicate to Mr Barroso his areas of expertise and competence, particularly those relating to finance and administration. It is ultimately up to Mr Barroso to decide.

"Malta's nomination will be made at the opportune time," a spokesman for the office of the Prime Minister said yesterday when asked when would Mr Dalli's nomination be made official. The spokesman also refused to confirm that Mr Dalli would be nominated.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi travels to Brussels this afternoon for an informal dinner with the other EU leaders during which they are expected to choose the individuals who would fill the two new positions created by the Lisbon Treaty: an EU President to chair future summits and a foreign affairs supremo, who will also act as vice-president of the European Commission.

The Swedish Presidency, which is coordinating the horse-trading among member states, said the list of possible candidates was getting longer by the hour and it was not yet sure whether tonight's meeting would serve its purpose.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Dutch Premier Jan Peter Balkenende and Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy are all in the running to become the first full-time EU President, with the latter being touted as the frontrunner. The list for the post of foreign affairs representative is even longer. Italy's former Prime Minister, Massimo D'Alema, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and Estonian President Toomas Ilves are all considered to be candidates.

According to the treaty, the selected candidates need a qualified majority of the Council.

However, a vote is unlikely to be taken as, normally, member states settle for a compromise candidate.

The Maltese government has kept its preferences close to its heart and has been careful not to express any sympathies.