Recently I reported another horse suddenly entered the race for the job of the new, super EU foreign minister -- Germany's current foreign minister, Joschka Fischer. And, both France and Germany have given their support to Fischer.

As you must know, my money has been on the EU's current High Representative getting this job -- Javier Solana. And, as I also reported, some powerful voices in the EU are beginning to speak out in support of Solana.

Well, now we have another even more powerful voice speaking out. The EUobserver is reporting that an influential member of both the Convention and the Parliament, Klaus Hänsch, is warning that appointing Fischer for the job before the new constitute treaty is adopted by all member states would violate EU rules.

Hänsch said, "If Joschka Fischer already accepted the post in 2004, he would be breaking current rules that EU Commissioners be independent of national governments because under the terms of the new job he would have to represent the national governments abroad" (Read about it here).

I think this could be a stall tactic for Solana. You see, Hänsch has always supported the idea of a longer term Council president, thus keeping the governments -- and Solana's 10-nation military wing -- in control of the EU's foreign policy. And his instance that the new foreign minister post can't be filled until after the new treaty is ratified by all member states appears to support this view. 

So, although there is another horse in the race, it appears it is running on shaky ground.

My bet is still on Solana