Race begins for EU's top diplomatic postings
This year's routine EEAS staff rotation is drawing unusually strong interest from senior European Commission officials for the bloc's most coveted diplomatic jobs. Meanwhile, student protests in France are reshaping the presidential race, and a new protest hotspot near the Berlaymont is making itself heard inside the EU's headquarters.
The European External Action Service's (EEAS) annual rotation of diplomatic postings is under way, and this year it has triggered far more interest than usual. An unusually large number of senior European Commission officials are competing for the bloc's most prestigious diplomatic roles, a sign of shifting mood and career calculations inside Brussels' bureaucracy.
French protests reshape presidential race
At the same time, a wave of student protests is spreading across France and beginning to influence the upcoming presidential campaign. The unrest is sharpening the contrast between left-wing figure Jean-Luc Mélenchon and far-right leader Marine Le Pen. One government adviser described the current climate in French politics as an especially chaotic moment.
New protest hotspot near Commission HQ
In Brussels, the newly redesigned Schuman roundabout has become a regular gathering point for demonstrations. The location sits close enough to the Berlaymont, the European Commission's headquarters, that the noise from protests can be heard on the building's upper floors, where EU officials work.
