Sweden’s turn at the Council Presidency could not have come at a better time. Reinfeldt has been a strong and competent leader, and has gone straight to work on implementing the first of the Lisbon Treaty changes. He’s been active in narrowing down the candidates for Council President and Foreign Policy Representative, and optimistic about the speed at which the decision can be made. The Union is lucky to have a Swede as its head for such crucial decision-making. Known for their fairness and consensus skills, Sweden is the perfect member state to lead through this transition. Imagine if the Czechs were still holding the presidency ? Or one of the bigger powers, France, or Germany, who we can be forgiven for thinking might manipulate the process in their favour ? A competent, consensus-building Scandinavian is the ideal leader in this case. And perhaps would have been for the permanent positions as well ?

Photo : Flickr, European Parliament