According to a draft statement made at the EU summit in Brussels last week, Felipe Gonzalez, the former Prime Minister of Spain, has been chosen by European leaders to head a group of “wise persons” whose purpose it will be to consider long-term issues faced by the European Union.

Felipe Gonzalez was Prime Minister when Spain entered into what is now the European Union in 1986. Two other high-level European personalities, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, a former Latvian President, and Jorma Ollila who was once chairman of Nokia, were selected as vice presidents for the group. Six more members will be chosen in March 2008. 

The group was originally based on an idea of France’s President, Nicolas Sarkozy, as a means of reflecting upon the boundaries of Europe. It is however more probable that it will examine questions of migration, crime, global security and migration. The debates during the meeting have shown that, in all likelihood, the first question will be over the status of Kosovo.