Most of the commentators judge that Von Rompuy and Ashton shall guarantee that they will not supplant national leaders as figures on the world stage or as interlocutors with Washington, with who US foreign-policymakers have good relationships.

Another viewpoint can be found in The New York Times, which had been much more critical of the new appointment, "the selection of such low-profile figures seemed to highlight Europe's problems instead of its readiness to take a more united and forceful place in world affairs."