Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BRUSSELS945
2009-07-08 13:34:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Brussels
Cable title:
BELGIAN FM DE GUCHT TO MOVE TO EUROPEAN COMMISSION
how-toVZCZCXRO8065 OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR DE RUEHBS #0945 1891334 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 081334Z JUL 09 FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9172 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHEFDHN/DIA DH WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000945
SIPDIS
STATE PASS EUR/WE AND EUR/ERA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL EU EUN BE
SUBJECT: BELGIAN FM DE GUCHT TO MOVE TO EUROPEAN COMMISSION
REF: A. USEU TODAY JULY 8
B. 2009
Classified By: Acting DCM Richard Eason for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 000945
SIPDIS
STATE PASS EUR/WE AND EUR/ERA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL EU EUN BE
SUBJECT: BELGIAN FM DE GUCHT TO MOVE TO EUROPEAN COMMISSION
REF: A. USEU TODAY JULY 8
B. 2009
Classified By: Acting DCM Richard Eason for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).
1. (U) Belgian media reported July 8 that Flemish Liberal
(OpenVLD) Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Karel De
Gucht would soon resign his posts to accept Belgian's EU
commission seat being vacated by EU Commissioner for
Development Louis Michel; Commissioner Michel will be sworn
in as a member of the European Parliament next week. It is
possible Commission President Barroso will rearrange the
portfolios in his second term, so it is unclear at this time
what portfolio De Gucht would hold under Barroso II. (Note:
The term of the Barroso I Commission ends October 31
officially, but could be extended pending ratification of the
Lisbon Treaty. End Note.) De Gucht did not speculate on
when he would resign or who his likely replacement in the
Belgian government would be. His departure creates an
opening for a new OpenVLD minister in the 10-member Council
of Ministers and in the five-member Core Cabinet of Vice PMs.
The media predict Flemish Christian Democrat (CD&V) and
former PM Yves Leterme would be the most likely candidate to
take the FM job, followed by current Vice PM and Finance
Minister Didier Reynders of the Francophone Liberals (MR).
2. (C) Comment: Embassy contacts confirmed that former PM
Leterme is indeed the most likely option. Mark Deweerdt, an
Advisor to PM Van Rompuy for Parliamentary Affairs, indicated
that when PM Van Rompuy left his position as Speaker of the
House of Representatives to assume the Prime Ministership in
December 2008, OpenVLD MP Patrick Dewael took his place; the
two parties then agreed that Leterme would be the next FM
should De Gucht move on. Carl DeVos, a political scientist
at the University of Ghent said the Francophone parties have
been clambering for one of the two foreign policy positions,
FM or DefMin, but probably lacked the wherewithal to obtain
either position within the government. Deeweerdt also said
Francophone Socialist (PS) Energy Minister Paul Magnette was
interested in leaving his position to join the
soon-to-be-installed Walloon regional government, creating an
opening for the PS to fill. The OpenVLD would also need to
choose a new Vice PM from their party. Deeweerdt said PM Van
Rompuy would try to complete all reshuffling within his
government before Belgian National Day July 21. FM De Gucht
remains FM until PM Van Rompuy announces a new Council of
Ministers and Core Cabinet. End Comment.
BUSH
.
SIPDIS
STATE PASS EUR/WE AND EUR/ERA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/06/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL EU EUN BE
SUBJECT: BELGIAN FM DE GUCHT TO MOVE TO EUROPEAN COMMISSION
REF: A. USEU TODAY JULY 8
B. 2009
Classified By: Acting DCM Richard Eason for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).
1. (U) Belgian media reported July 8 that Flemish Liberal
(OpenVLD) Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Karel De
Gucht would soon resign his posts to accept Belgian's EU
commission seat being vacated by EU Commissioner for
Development Louis Michel; Commissioner Michel will be sworn
in as a member of the European Parliament next week. It is
possible Commission President Barroso will rearrange the
portfolios in his second term, so it is unclear at this time
what portfolio De Gucht would hold under Barroso II. (Note:
The term of the Barroso I Commission ends October 31
officially, but could be extended pending ratification of the
Lisbon Treaty. End Note.) De Gucht did not speculate on
when he would resign or who his likely replacement in the
Belgian government would be. His departure creates an
opening for a new OpenVLD minister in the 10-member Council
of Ministers and in the five-member Core Cabinet of Vice PMs.
The media predict Flemish Christian Democrat (CD&V) and
former PM Yves Leterme would be the most likely candidate to
take the FM job, followed by current Vice PM and Finance
Minister Didier Reynders of the Francophone Liberals (MR).
2. (C) Comment: Embassy contacts confirmed that former PM
Leterme is indeed the most likely option. Mark Deweerdt, an
Advisor to PM Van Rompuy for Parliamentary Affairs, indicated
that when PM Van Rompuy left his position as Speaker of the
House of Representatives to assume the Prime Ministership in
December 2008, OpenVLD MP Patrick Dewael took his place; the
two parties then agreed that Leterme would be the next FM
should De Gucht move on. Carl DeVos, a political scientist
at the University of Ghent said the Francophone parties have
been clambering for one of the two foreign policy positions,
FM or DefMin, but probably lacked the wherewithal to obtain
either position within the government. Deeweerdt also said
Francophone Socialist (PS) Energy Minister Paul Magnette was
interested in leaving his position to join the
soon-to-be-installed Walloon regional government, creating an
opening for the PS to fill. The OpenVLD would also need to
choose a new Vice PM from their party. Deeweerdt said PM Van
Rompuy would try to complete all reshuffling within his
government before Belgian National Day July 21. FM De Gucht
remains FM until PM Van Rompuy announces a new Council of
Ministers and Core Cabinet. End Comment.
BUSH
.