Poland drops call for EU president interviews

(WARSAW) - Poland on Tuesday dropped its demand for job interviews for candidates in the race to become president of the European Union, but still insisted on hearings for the new foreign policy supremo.

"Poland has accepted the arguments of the Swedish EU presidency and is no longer pushing for candidates for the post of EU president to be interviewed," foreign ministry spokesman Piotr Paszkowski told AFP.

Sweden, which currently holds the rotating leadership of the 27-nation EU, is trying to find a consensus candidate from a broad field vying to become president of the bloc's ruling European Council, a new post created by the reforming Lisbon Treaty.

Last week, Warsaw had said candidates should be invited to pitch themselves and their plans at a meeting with the leaders of the 27 member states.

Despite giving ground on the presidential selection, the Polish government said in a statement Tuesday that the nomination of the foreign policy chief -- another Lisbon Treaty job -- should be "preceded by a debate during which each candidate would present his or her vision" of that role.

The same would go for the third Lisbon post, the secretary-general of the European Council, the statement said.

EU leaders are to decide on the posts at a summit in Brussels on Thursday, and intensive talks are going on behind closed doors.

Among those under consideration for the role of president are Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy -- a bookmakers' favourite -- plus his Dutch and Luxembourg counterparts Jan Peter Balkenende and Jean-Claude Juncker.

British ex-premier Tony Blair and Latvia's former president, Vaira Vike-Freiberga are also in the running for the job.

Ex-communist Poland's calls for more transparency in the leadership race have been echoed by Vike-Freiberga, who last week said decisions were being made with the kind of secrecy seen in the Soviet Union.