Vaira Vike-Freiberga has compared the selection process of an EU President to the secrecy of the Soviet era. Indeed, Eurology is the new Kremlinology. Many months of guesswork by the media have resulted in the naming of the Seven Dwarfs - but what Snow White will look like we do not know. The Public will of course have no say in the matter. This is now customary in the EU. Why bother with democracy if Wise Men and Mandarins do it so much better ? Ah. The D-word (disapproving glances from Eurocrats and statists) - the D-word is not to be mentioned. After all, we all know that if we'd had a democratic say, the EU would be a free trade zone and not much else. The Wise Men and Mandarins would simply not have been there.
Quick highly scientific research on Wikipedia taught me that Ms. Vike-Freiberga's family fled Latvia after the communist takeover. She was a professor at Montreal University. She was Latvian president twice, with very high approval ratings. She apparently liked to meet her constituents in person (eyebrows go up in Brussels). She is outspoken on moral values and democracy (eyebrows in Brussels go even higher, accompanied by frowning). Like every female top politician abroad since The Original she has been called The (Latvian) Iron Lady. Of her views little is said though The Daily Telegraph reports that she is seen as centre right.
So yesterday she lamented the secrecy in Brussels... That lowers the odds of her getting the job to something like one million-to-one. Even Brown may stand a greater chance. I think her utterance shows that she is perfectly qualified for the job. Personally I would of course prefer to remain a subject of Her Majesty the Queen, rather than a president. But Labour and LibDems decided otherwise.
