Denmark takes up EU presidency with little sway on crisis

Non-euro nation Denmark took over the European Union's rotating presidency today, aspiring to ease the bloc's crisis but few expecting it to impact the power game dominated by the big players.

As Poland passed on the baton, the small Scandinavian country of 5.6 million -- one of the few in Europe with a left-leaning government -- will have to face head on the ballooning euro debt crisis.
But with the big euro nations of France and Germany seen as driving the crisis management, Denmark risks being marginalised along with the nine other EU members, including Britain, which have not adopted the single currency.
The importance and sway of the EU's rotating presidency has also dwindled since the Lisbon Treaty created the post of a permanent president of the European Council.
"Politically, Denmark will have little impact on the aspect of European cooperation that, for now, is mainly attracting attention," the Ritzau news agency said Sunday "Formally, Denmark cannot and should not resolve the euro crisis," it added.
The news agency, however, hailed Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and European Affairs Minister Nicolai Wammen for their expressed aim to try to bridge the differences between the 17-member eurozone and the full 27-member bloc.
"Over the next six months, we have the possibility to make Europe take a small but important step in the right direction. We must use this possibility" because "everything that happens in Europe influences us here", Thorning-Schmidt said Sunday in her first New Year's speech since her election in September.
"We will get involved so European countries, together, can control the economy and return to (healthy economic) growth. That is what is needed to recreate jobs in Europe," she insisted.