It was in the end a triumph for the real power in Europe: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her right-wing friend the French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

At his post-match press conference, Gordon Brown marched in to declare how seeing the presidential hopes of Tony Blair turn to dust was disappointing but securing the foreign minister’s post for a British peer had been a great victory.

“It shows that Britain is at the heart of Europe and it shows that we are leading the way in extending women’s representation in the way we have done,” he boomed.

Earlier, as unsubstantiated rumour after rumour pinged off the walls of the cavernous Justus Lupius Building in downtown Brussels and pictures were broadcast of leaders and aides rushing in and out of conference rooms, people were girding their loins for a long night.

However, the beginning of a much quicker end than expected came before the leaders’ dinner at the meeting of the socialist grouping attended by the PM.

British diplomatic sources explained how names were being bandied around – even Lord Mandelson’s and Geoff Hoon’s – when Mr Brown made a “key intervention” and put forward that of Cathy Ashton.

For most people outside the room, the question – who is she? – would have been raised. But there was broad agreement.

A disabled rights campaigner and junior minister ennobled and elevated to the Cabinet as Leader in the Lords, she crossed the Channel to Brussels to take up the role of EU trade commissioner when Lord Mandelson was recalled to the Cabinet.

Like Herman van Rompuy, the Belgian prime minister, who, as expected, took the president’s job, she is as low profile as you can get; traffic-stoppers they are not.

And, again like Mr Van Rompuy, she has barely been in post a year. As if to underline the point, her most ebullient comment following her appointment was that it would be a “challenge” and she drew laughter when the new high representative for foreign and security matters made clear she had no clue what was in store.

Equally understated was Mr Van Rompuy, who noted how there had been a “great deal of talk and comment about the future profile and image of the president of the council but the key things are dialogue, unity and action: the image of the council resides in strength through results”.

Of course, this would have pleased Mrs Merkel and Mr Sarkozy as it is exactly the low-key approach they wanted. They did not wish to see Tony “Mr Flash” Blair lording it over them as President of Europe, a person whom the likes of President Barack Obama and Premier Wen Jiabao would rather talk to than mere national leaders.

At his press conference, Mr Brown did his best to play down his disappointment of not getting his old Cabinet chum enthroned as the king of Europe and told members of the British press that they should be proud a countrywoman now held one of the most powerful positions in Europe.

However, one cannot help thinking that it is Mrs Merkel and Mr Sarkozy who have the biggest smiles today.

As one wag in Brussels cruelly noted the appointment of Lady Ashton and Mr Van Rompuy was the “night of the pygmies”.

EU PRESIDENT: HERMAN VAN ROMPUY

The centre-right politician has been Belgian’s reluctant prime minister for almost a year. King Albert II had to persuade him to take the top job, succeeding Yves Leterme, after the previous government collapsed amid the banking crisis. He was previously president of Belgium’s lower house of parliament.

Internationally, the 62-year-old father-of-four has a low profile. He is a member of the Flemish-speaking elite yet is regarded as having a better understanding of French-Belgian culture than his predecessors.

The Christian Democrat is regarded as a good negotiator with a self-deprecating sense of humour, which has helped him to hold together a difficult five party coalition government. His departure, therefore, could cause some instability at home.

Regarded as a consensual figure, his appointment appears to have been secured with the key backing of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Indeed, he was described as their “stitch-up” candidate, opted for in a bid to halt the “traffic stopper” Tony Blair.

EU FOREIGN MINISTER: BARONESS CATHY ASHTON

CATHY Ashton is hardly a household name but last night she was catapulted into the second most important job in the European Union as its new foreign and security minister.

An economics graduate, in the 1980s she was a campaigner for disabled people. Between 1998 and 2001, she was chairman of the health authority in Hertfordshire being ennobled in 1999 as Baroness Ashton of Upholland near Wigan.

A Blairite, she was made a parliamentary under-Secretary of State in the Department for Education and Skills in 2001 and a year later was appointed Minister for Sure Start in the same department.

In 2004, she was moved to the Department for Constitutional Affairs with responsibilities for, among other things, the National Archives.

When Gordon Brown became PM in June 2007, he promoted her to the Cabinet as Leader of the House of Lords. She helped steer the Lisbon Treaty through the Upper House.

She retained her low public profile when she moved to Brussels a year later to replace Peter Mandelson as EU trade commissioner.