Rutte upbeat on "complex" EU choices

The EU summit's inability to fill top function positions is not a disaster, according to Prime Minister Mark Rutte. He tells the NOS that there is no wasted time, and expects there will be more progress in August. "The decision-making process is complex. There are 28 countries around the table, so it's logical that it takes time", Rutte says. The PM did not want to tell Dutch media too much about the process, as international media will pick up whatever he says, which diminishes the chance of a decision in August. Rutte dispels rumors that he himself may be on the candidate list for successor of Herman van Rompuy as president of the European Union, saying that he was not asked, and is not on the market. Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, had spoken of the likelihood that the next President may not hail from one of the two largest European factions per se, and that a liberal could also be an option. Danish Prime Minister Helle Torning-Schmidt, a social democrat, is also favored as a possible successor, who would bring balance to the conservative base.