A favourite former residence of Yugoslav dictator Tito, it will be part of Slovenia’s European Union presidency headquarters. Prime Minister Janez Jansa has mobilised ten percent of his country’s civil service personnel to help Lubljana manage the EU agenda.

At an inaugural ceremony at Brdo, Jansa spoke of the sensitivity of the ratification process for the bloc’s reform treaty, signed in Lisbon. He said it will be important not to disturb debates in national parliaments or surrounding a ratification referendum.

This Tuesday, the full college of the European Commissions is scheduled to visit Slovenia, for its customary first meeting with the new presidency. Except for Jose Manuel Barroso, the Commission’s president, who is off sick.

One of the former communist republic’s priorities will be forging a common position on Kosovo. Most of the 27 EU states are ready to support the Serbian province if it declares independence unilaterally. But others have strong reservations.

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