Luckily, perhaps, the rotating presidency has lost much of its importance since the 2009 Lisbon treaty.
Sarkozy undertook the role because he holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.
On July 1st the Swedes took over the rotating presidency of the European Union for six months.
Eurocrats in Brussels like to portray the rotating presidency as largely redundant now there is a permanent European Council president.
On Monday, Uruguayan President Jose Mujica, who currently holds the rotating presidency of Mercosur, invited Mr Cortes to attend the next Mercosur meeting in June.
Mr Bush has also been in touch with, among others, leaders in Canada, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Denmark, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.
She also spoke with the foreign ministers of India, Britain, France, Germany and the Czech Republic, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, Wood said.
Russia last month assumed the rotating presidency of the G-20.
The first six months of this year, when Spain held the rotating presidency of the European Union, was supposed to be the moment when the prime minister could enjoy the limelight.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, later in Jerusalem.
In 2007 Germany assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union (for six months) and presided over the G8 summit of the world's biggest economies, allowing Ms Merkel to display a flair for statesmanship.
ECONOMIST: Germany's chancellor: Merkel is the message | The
But the column was meant to say the opposite: to warn that ditching the rotating presidency would not solve that many problems, and to beware those people pointing to the Czechs and demanding ratification of Lisbon as soon as possible.
In her debut speech to the European Parliament since her country took on the rotating presidency of the Council of Ministers, Hungarian State Secretary for European Affairs Eniko Gyori said the agreement could help tackle illegal cross-border trade and improve co-operation on environmental issues.
"Members of the council reaffirmed their view that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, whenever and by whomsover committed, " said Emyr Jones Parry, the British ambassador to the United Nations who holds the rotating presidency of the council.
Ukraine is a long way from Spain, which holds the rotating EU presidency.
Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, also urged European leaders to find some ground for unity.
Iceland could then become a formal candidate in late 2009, when Sweden (another ally) holds the rotating EU presidency, and a full EU member by 2011.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country has the rotating G8 presidency for 2007, had pressed for firm targets, but claimed she was "very satisfied" with Thursday's outcome.
France, which hands over the rotating EU presidency to the Czech Republic in January, needs to win the Eastern states' support ahead of an EU summit on 11-12 December.
Belgium, which current chairs the rotating EU presidency, has attempted to bring the warring factions to a compromise, but has been unable to restart negotiations ahead of the scheduled September 20 vote.
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said it was "the most complete agreement that the European Union has yet signed with a third country".
Both the French government, which currently holds the rotating European Union presidency, and the European Commission's transport directorate are pressing for strict laws to exclude old ships from European ports.
Since the Netherlands will be holding the EU's rotating presidency in the second half of the year, I asked Ben Bot, the Dutch foreign minister (and a former Dutch ambassador to Turkey) how worried he is about the lack of public support among Western voters?
The talks have been personally presided over by Carl Bildt, the Swedish foreign minister, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency and who served as the first high representative in Bosnia.
The Italian government, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, is proposing that the Europe's long-term investment agency, the European Investment Bank, increase its borrowing so that it can pump an additional euro11 billion a year into roads, railways and other infrastructure projects across the continent, with private investors putting up several times as much money.
The Portuguese, who took over the rotating European Union presidency on July 1st, are making better links with Africa a priority of their six-month presidency.
France, which holds the rotating European Union presidency until Thursday, had brought together foreign ministers in Paris to address the situation in Gaza and in southern Israel.
Next year Hungary and Poland will each have six months in the EU's rotating presidency.
Ireland, which takes over the EU's rotating presidency in January, seems likely to take a cautious approach.
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