51.   As a result, this key post has gone to a man from the west, former railway manager Thilo Sarrazin.

52.   At least six cabinet posts will go to his Reform Party.

53.   By tradition the post should now go to a centre-right politician.

54.   Jordanian Information Minister Jawad Anani told journalists on Saturday that the post could go to Israeli Chief-of-Staff Ehud Barak.

55.   Other top posts will go to Gaullist stalwarts like outgoing culture minister Jacques Toubon and Bernard Pons, president of the RPR parliamentary group in the National Assembly.

56.   Otherwise, the post goes to Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek, idle this week trying to cure a long-running knee injury.

57.   Rehn would like to see the high-profile post go to Finland, but is well aware that the choice is a difficult process.

58.   The appointment drew criticism from some that such a key post should go to someone not elected by the voters themselves.

59.   The influential post could go either to the foreign minister or the minister for external trade, once the presidency agrees on either.