EU STILL AT NOMINATIONS IMPASSE AHEAD OF THURSDAY SUMMIT

A summit this week to appoint an EU president and foreign affairs chief looks set to run over schedule with no clear candidates agreed despite long consultations, EU officials said on Tuesday.

Sweden has called a summit in Brussels on Thursday to decide who fills the jobs. But midway through a second round of discussions with EU leaders, no unanimous names have emerged. Herman Van Rompuy is the frontrunner to become president, but diplomats say no agreement has been reached on the foreign policy job and some countries want a more established statesmen than Van Rompuy as president. "There is still no clear candidate for either job," an EU diplomat with knowledge of the negotiations said.

Fredrik Reinfeldt had hoped unanimous candidates for both jobs would emerge from talks with leaders and would be confirmed at a dinner. The summit now looks likely to run into the early hours of Friday and beyond.

FRIDAY BREAKFAST ORDERED  

Sweden has even taken the precaution of ordering breakfast for the heads of state and government attending the summit in case the dinner ends without a result, diplomats say. "If there is no agreement -and currently many things seem to be blocked- then it must continue on Friday or probably it will have to be postponed," Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger told reporters on Monday.

At least six names have repeatedly been mentioned by diplomats and analysts for the president's job, and a similar number for the role of high representative, but the list seems to grow rather than shorten. The EU is expected to opt for a centre-right president and a centre-left foreign affairs chief. There is no firm favourite for the latter role, but Italians Massimo D'Alema and Giuliano Amato are increasingly mentioned as candidates. Despite calls for a women to have one of the top jobs, no women are thought to be among the front-runners.

BRITAIN FACES BEING SIDELINED

 EU diplomats say Britain is still pushing for Tony Blair to be president but many other states are against. Britain's insistence on Blair is creating an impasse, the diplomat familiar with the process said, and Britain could find itself sidelined if the decision ultimately went to a vote. "Any decision without the UK's backing would not be good PR for the EU, but the Swedes, France, Germany and others may be willing to go for a vote without the British," he said.