The Belgian presidencies

Perhaps because it is a founder member state of the European Union, perhaps because it plays host to various EU institutions, Belgium is finely tuned to changes in the Union’s institutional architecture.

Belgium’s presidency of the Council of Ministers comes at a moment when many changes are being made.

The balance of power between the various EU institutions is shifting, partly as a consequence of the Lisbon treaty, partly as a consequence of the eurozone’s sovereign-debt crisis.

The relationship between the permanent president of the European Council and the rotating presidency of the Council of Ministers is still being worked out. Herman Van Rompuy, the former Belgian prime minister who is now president of the European Council, has successfully carved out a position for himself.

But some national governments and some in the European Commission believe that he has acquired too much influence. His role in chairing meetings of a ministerial taskforce on economic governance and meetings of leaders of eurozone countries has given him a strong leadership role on economic matters, at the expense of both Jean-Claude Juncker, the chairman of the Eurogroup (the eurozone finance ministers), and of the chairman of the council of finance ministers (ie, the finance minister of the country holding the rotating presidency).

For all that the Belgian administration is likely to work closely with Van Rompuy, it will not give him an entirely free hand.

Belgium sees the rotating presidency as still having a role post-Lisbon, particularly in looking after the interests of the smaller member states. It can redress the balance if the permanent president is taken captive by the larger member states.

Keeping control

Belgium will not seek to compete with Catherine Ashton, the high representative for foreign policy – as Spain did during its presidency. So Belgium will accept her leadership on foreign policy matters. But it will not readily surrender control of the general affairs council – the meetings of either foreign or European affairs ministers that is supposed to co-ordinate EU work. Foreign Minister Steven Vanackere will want the general affairs council to contribute to steering the work of the EU and will not leave everything to Van Rompuy’s team (for all that he, like Van Rompuy, is a Flemish Christian Democrat).

The European Parliament has been asserting its powers, post-Lisbon, delaying approval of the European External Action Service and vetoing a temporary deal with the United States on transferring bank data.

Belgian diplomats note the Council of Ministers will have to pay more attention and effort to co-operating with MEPs on legislative proposals to ensure their smooth passage.

The Commission too may require some delicate handling. There are signs that the Commission is caught in a squeeze between Van Rompuy and a yet more assertive Parliament.

The Belgian presidency will have its work cut out to keep the machinery turning smoothly.