Miliband's star shines in EU race

By Pete Harrison

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Foreign Secretary David Miliband's chances of becoming the European Union's foreign policy chief are improving, and Italian Massimo D'Alema's hopes are fading because of opposition in eastern Europe.

The EU is expected to call a summit this month to appoint a high representative for foreign affairs with enhanced powers and a long-term president, following ratification this week of the Lisbon treaty which outlines the terms for both jobs.

"For high representative, the name of David Miliband is the most quoted name in the diplomatic circle," a senior EU diplomat, who declined to be identified, told reporters.

He said D'Alema, a former premier backed by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, faced opposition from member states that were once in the Soviet bloc because of his communist past.

"It would be a problem," the diplomat told reporters. "For the first term of high representative, it would be better to have a person whose authority could not be contested because of his past party affiliations."

D'Alema, 60, is a member of Italy's main opposition party, the centre-left Democratic Party.

He joined the Italian Communist Party in 1968 and became a member of its central committee in 1979. He was also editor of the communist newspaper L'Unità in the 1980s.

D'ALEMA LACKS SUPPORT AMONG LEADERS