The two big EU roles created by the undemocratically ratified Lisbon Treaty have been handed out to two complete unknowns. Two people with profiles so low, I’d be surprised if anyone outside of the EU-ocracy had ever heard of them before now.

In the role of EU President is Belgian Prime Minister, Herman van Rompuy (seemingly pronounced “Rumpy“. He is very much a consensus politician – not particuarly surprising considering he’s Belgian – and is not known outside of his own country and has only attended to European summits.

The appointment of van Rompuy may be a good one, considering he is a consensus politician and follows David Cameron’s “chairmanic” wishes for the role of EU President, rather than the presidential attitude which Tony Blair would have brought. As a blogger himself (although only in Dutch), the new EU president may bring a bit of transparency to the EU – something particuarly lacking in the selection of an EU President and Foreign minister over a banquet (and inherent in the way in the EU runs).

For the role of High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Baroness Ashton was selected, a woman with no foreign policy experience, no profile even in her own country, and someone who has never even been elected to office!

Why a political pygmy such as Baroness Ashton has been chosen to represent the EU at the global high table makes no sense – other than ensuring that national leades will be kept very much in the loop still considering Ashton’s complete lack of experience or profile.

These choices to me reflect that even EU national leaders are not entirely convinced by the Lisbon Treaty roles, otherwise they would have selected strong candidates rather than complete unknowns. To me, however, it just shows that the EU continues to be an anti-democratic institution which selects people in backroom deals over a glass of champagne or a banquet rather than put any choices in the hands of the people – after all, we might make a decision they disagree with and have to vote again!