Portugal's Guterres elected UN Secretary-General

BELGRADE - The UN Security Council elected former Portuguese PM António Guterres as UN Secretary-General, EurActiv.com reports. According to leaked information from the secret vote, he received 13 votes in favour from the 15 members of the Council, and two "without opinion".

The decision came as a big surprise, because although Guterres ranked first in all five straw polls held so far, it was assumed that a woman from Eastern Europe would be elected. This is why Commission Vice-President Kristalina Georgieva joined the race, pushed forward by the EPP, and personally supported by Angela Merkel.

Georgieva's results were appallingly disappointing. She ranked 7th, obtaining 5 votes in favour, eight votes against, including two from permanent members of the Security Council (P5), and two "without opinion".

Slovakia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miroslav Lajčák, came...