The Polish government will officially propose the candidacy of former Polish prime minister and current justice minister, Hanna Suchocka, for secretary general of the Council of Europe, government spokesman Jaroslaw Sellin said Dec. 22. Suchocka is a constitutional lawyer.

According to unofficial sources in Strasbourg, Suchocka's most serious opponent will be EU commissioner for external relations Hans van den Broek. Suchocka is the first candidate for the post from Central Europe. The new secretary general will be elected during a June session of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly.