Jack Straw joins EU foreign ministers for a key meeting against a background of seismic shifts in Europe's political landscape.

With the centre right ascendant across Europe, Tony Blair will face a European summit with a transformed line-up in Seville on Friday.

The UK prime minister and Gerhard Schroeder are increasingly marginalised as social democratic heads of government.

And EU heavy hitter, Jacques Chirac will appear at the Spanish European Council without a socialist at his side for the first time in years.

Eleven out of the EU's 15 member state governments were centre left in 1999, a balance of power that could be entirely reversed this year if the German chancellor fails to turnaround the polls in an autumn election - leaving the only the UK, Sweden, Belgium and Greece to keep the "third way" torch burning.

Emerging coalitions and shifting alliances in the EU are now pragmatic rather than ideological, to the dismay of some in Labour, as the UK teams up with right-wing governments - in Spain on institutional reform or Italy on labour market restructuring.

But the political fallout from a victorious right in France or an ascendant, eurosceptic right in Germany has as yet unforeseen consequences as Europe's leaders prepare for a summit set to focus on reform to the EU's institutions and a crackdown on asylum.

Spain is backing plans pushed by Britain to speed and streamline planning for European councils aimed at ending the interminable wrangling and horse trading behind summit closed doors.

EU leaders are to focus on "strategic and overarching issues" leaving the specifics to councils of ministers tasked to deliver the detail.

Among proposed changes is the suggestion to split the general affairs council into two - dividing foreign affairs from some of the EU policy and strategy, a move that could trigger a political fight between German greens, who hold the foreign brief, and social democrats who control the chancellery.

There are plans to cut the number of ministerial meetings, from 16 to 10, and to scrap the present rotating European presidency. All of which are to be targeted for Treaty changes in 2004.

Britain is also backing greater transparency, with key discussions and votes at European councils to be held in public.