A few days ago, an FP reader e-mailed me with a question about the European Union's Reform Treaty. He wanted to know if the new EU presidency that will be created by the treaty is a better fit for the office of the Antichrist than the new foreign minister post.

It's a good question. EU politics can be very confusing, with the many different governing bodies and titles. But, as they say, the devil is in the details. And it's my view that the foreign minister post is a much better fit for the office of the Antichrist than the president post. Here's why.

Part of the confusion comes from the title "president." Some media have referred to the new president as the "president of the European Union," like this Daily Mail article. But this wording is misleading. It makes it sound like this person will have great powers like the president of the United States.

The correct title is "president of the European Council," and this person's duties will be administrative -- a lot of chairing meetings and writing reports. This person will also represent the EU at times, but under the authority of the the foreign minister. Read the president's job description outlined in the Reform Treaty here.

In fact, there's already a president of the European Council, Jose Socrates of Portugal -- the member state that currently holds the six-month rotating presidency. What the Reform Treaty will change is it will lengthen the president's term to two and a half years, renewable once. Also, the president will no longer hold a national office. So, the new president will have a longer term and greater visibility, but still minimal powers. That's one reason some have speculated that Tony Blair wouldn't take the position, even if offered it.

Yet, the new foreign minister post -- called the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy -- will strengthen the existing foreign minister post. This is one of the most controversial parts of the Reform Treaty. And the post will continue to fall under the European Council, the EU's most powerful governing body.

In many nations, the president isn't the top leader, but just a ceremonial position. Germany is led by Chancellor Angela Merkel (you've may never have heard of president Horst Kohler). And in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Gordon Brown is the top dog. But in the EU, the top post belongs to the foreign minister, currently called the "High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy."

The new foreign minister post will combine the existing foreign minister post (currently held by Javier Solana) with the External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner post (currently held by Benita Ferraro-Waldner). In other words, the foreign minister will gain a huge budget, large staff and diplomatic services to help him enact his foreign policy. And he will, apparently, have a renewable five-year term, as is the case with the current foreign minister post.

The foreign minister will continue to implement the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), which is seeking to bring peace to the Mediterranean region and lay the groundwork for a new world order. These seem to fit the goals of the Antichrist. And the ENP has a new seven-year timetable attached to it. (Read why this seven-year timetable may be prophetically significant here.) Foreign policy is a match for the job description of the Antichrist.

I should mention that there's also currently another president in the EU -- the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso. Barroso, who serves a five-year term, is tasked with overseeing the E.U.'s executive branch. Yet, Barroso isn't viewed as the voice of Europe the way the foreign minister, Solana, is. Note, that it's Solana who has been called upon by six world powers to resolve the Iran nuclear threat. Read about it here.

The bottom line is, under the Reform Treaty the foreign minister will continue to be the most powerful post in the European Union -- and will share many similarities with the office of the Antichrist.

Staying tuned!