By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, October 4, updated -- As the UN General Assembly committee have begun meeting this week, the European Union has been noticeably absent and has not spoken. Since the EU fought so loud and hard to gain special status and ability to speak, the sudden silence is noteworthy.
While several sources speculated to Inner City Press that the EU's absence is related to the hand-over of the post of Representative to the UN from Pedro Serrano to long time Austrian Permanent Representative Thomas Mayr-Harting, further reporting finds a split in the EU on how to proceed.
One source called it "determining the sex of angels." But a Permanent Representative skeptical of the new or special powers won by the EU said that "the UK is not comfortable" with the EU pushing forward. Another said it will have to be decided by the ministers, what the Treaty of Lisbon means.
A UK spokesperson helpfully told Inner City Press, "We are having productive discussions with other EU members on the detail of the implications of the Lisbon Treaty for various types of statements in the General Assembly."
The affable Mayr-Harting, who is not Inner City Press' sources on his promotion, does not get sworn in for another ten days, and Serrano is already gone. So for how long with the EU remain silent? Watch this site.
