Fischer's bid for EU foreign affairs job in doubt

This should not be a feature of the future EU foreign affairs minister, the German newspaper adds.

Allegations that German Foreign affairs minister could chair a new EU foreign affairs post within a new power structure in Brussels are nothing new. In the political circles of Berlin it is almost decided that Joschka Fischer should fill the post, that has not yet been established.

The Convention on the Future of Europe is discussing the proposal to create a chair of common EU foreign minister, merging the current separate roles performed by the EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana and external relations Commissioner Chris Patten.

Financial Times Deutschland writes that the German Chancellor would like to see Mr Fischer chairing the common EU foreign policy because that would increase a German role in the international arena where "German leaders have less posts than the French or British". According to the newspaper, Great Britain and Poland have also given signals that they could support Mr Fischer's nomination.

However, Mr Fischer will not be the only candidate for the post as the debate on the matter continues. One serious competitor could be the Greek Foreign Affairs minister George Papandreou.