Hillarysworld

A woman makes history across the pond...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/19/lady-cathy-ashton

In the space of a few minutes in Brussels yesterday afternoon, Cathy Ashton found herself catapulted into the international limelight as one of the world's most powerful women.

It is a spectacular rise by any standards. Just 13 months ago she was a relatively junior member of the British cabinet, as leader of the House of Lords. In her latest role she will represent the foreign policy of half a billion EU citizens.

Ashton will rank just behind Hillary Clinton and Angela Merkel as one of the world's most powerful women immersed in some of its most intractable problems. Her main areas will be the crisis over Iran's nuclear programme, the Middle East and Europe's fractious relations with Russia. Afghanistan will loom ever larger as the EU face greater US pressure to step up their commitments.

Ashton has made her mark in Brussels, despite early criticism that she was too junior. The trade job in the European Commission is one of the biggest foreign policy jobs in Brussels and one of the few commission posts where the incumbent negotiates on Europe's behalf with the rest of the world in trade talks. Ashton has won admiration for her competence, thoroughness, and likability.

José Manuel Barroso, the commission president, was keen to promote Ashton to the foreign policy post. Downing Street initially balked. Her appointment showed that Brown had acknowledged that Britain would not secure a major economic portfolio in the commission.

While Ashton is dismissed by some as failing to make the big beast grade, she has shown her mettle in the last few months by mounting a highly effective campaign to remain in Brussels.

After securing the support of Barroso, she won over Ron Kirk, the US trade representative, who said he hoped that Ashton would remain in Brussels.