Tony Blair should be made head of a stronger European Union that would be able to compete with China and the United States on the world stage, the Foreign Secretary said yesterday. David Miliband said that the new EU president needed to be someone who "stopped the traffic" in Washington and Beijing and was guaranteed the highest access to world leaders. With EU leaders preparing to start talking about Mr Blair's prospects this week, his supporters have begun a sustained campaign to showcase the advantages he would bring to the role. The behind the scenes battle is becoming increasingly fraught, with some of the smaller EU countries combining in a "Stop Blair" effort. So far he is the only politician to be backed publicly for the role.
David Miliband said that the new EU president needed to be someone who "stopped the traffic" in Washington and Beijing and was guaranteed the highest access to world leaders.
With EU leaders preparing to start talking about Mr Blair's prospects this week, his supporters have begun a sustained campaign to showcase the advantages he would bring to the role. The behind the scenes battle is becoming increasingly fraught, with some of the smaller EU countries combining in a "Stop Blair" effort. So far he is the only politician to be backed publicly for the role.
Every country in the world is debating whether and how to fashion a global role. When I took China's top foreign policy official, State Councillor Dai Bingguo, to the Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum last weekend, he relayed his recent conversation with one of the most eminent American foreign policy heavyweights. "Britain punches above its weight," he had been told. He asked me why. This is what I told him. Our outlook, influence and power today reflects history but does not rest on it. Instead, four factors are key. First, we embrace the internationalism of the modern world, with its new powers and new threats. Britain is a leading contributor of people and money in tackling the great challenges of the world. Our Armed Forces are trained, equipped and flexible. And we are willing to deploy them in the toughest places. Our intelligence services are exceptionally effective -- as their involvement in the revelation of secret Iranian nuclear facilities has shown. We are world leaders when it comes to development assistance. And with 261 diplomatic missions in more than 160 countries, our foreign service gives us insight and influence the world over. Government is only part of the story. British businesses export British goods, values and working practices all over the world. Two of the big eight humanitarian charities -- Save the Children and Oxfam -- started life in Britain. The diversity of our society gives us diaspora networks that stretch across the world.
Our outlook, influence and power today reflects history but does not rest on it. Instead, four factors are key.
First, we embrace the internationalism of the modern world, with its new powers and new threats. Britain is a leading contributor of people and money in tackling the great challenges of the world. Our Armed Forces are trained, equipped and flexible. And we are willing to deploy them in the toughest places. Our intelligence services are exceptionally effective -- as their involvement in the revelation of secret Iranian nuclear facilities has shown. We are world leaders when it comes to development assistance. And with 261 diplomatic missions in more than 160 countries, our foreign service gives us insight and influence the world over.
Government is only part of the story. British businesses export British goods, values and working practices all over the world. Two of the big eight humanitarian charities -- Save the Children and Oxfam -- started life in Britain. The diversity of our society gives us diaspora networks that stretch across the world.
Not just Blair and Miliband: Britain.
(..... no, words fail me.........)
A (jewish)columnist once proposed there should be a "jew" test. Whenever somebody found themselves speaking in favour of some ban or legislation that would primarily affect one group of people (however defined), that society should ask "how would I feel if we used the word "jew" instead of said group ?"
I think whenever somebody considers speaking internationally in praise of Britain, they should use the "France" or "Germany" test. If it isn't toe-curdling when applied to another country then it's okay. keep to the Fen Causeway
"Europe can only exist on the "world stage" thanks to France." or "Europe can only exist on the "world stage" thanks to Germany." make a lot more sense than "Europe can only exist on the "world stage" thanks to Britain." "Few can believe that suffering, especially by others, is in vain. - Galbraith"
Another official recalled dining with Mr Blair. "He got used to being British leader in the front rank and was clear he would not take the European job if it meant standing behind heads of government when summit photographs are taken." So, the final countdown has begun in earnest. Will we be seeing a magisterial motorcade for a statesman of Mr Blair's international stature, or a more modest form of transport befitting a politician who could not stop the traffic in his own back yard? Or, as one Blairite ally puts it: "Do they want a president who has the red carpet rolled out in Beijing or one who waits in the queue at immigration because no one recognises him? That is the test."
Another official recalled dining with Mr Blair. "He got used to being British leader in the front rank and was clear he would not take the European job if it meant standing behind heads of government when summit photographs are taken."
So, the final countdown has begun in earnest. Will we be seeing a magisterial motorcade for a statesman of Mr Blair's international stature, or a more modest form of transport befitting a politician who could not stop the traffic in his own back yard?
Or, as one Blairite ally puts it: "Do they want a president who has the red carpet rolled out in Beijing or one who waits in the queue at immigration because no one recognises him? That is the test."
There is something fishy about the race to fill two of the biggest jobs going in Europe - the first long-term presidency of the European Union, and the post of EU foreign policy chief. The closer the EU gets to decision time, the more various unofficial candidates are ruling themselves out or running into difficulties. As far as concerns the presidency, the latest person to say she doesn't want to be considered for the job is Mary Robinson, the former Irish head of state. In some ways, it's a shame. The politically independent Robinson commands much respect across Europe and beyond - more than certain candidates I could mention from Belgium and Luxembourg. It would also be a clever move on the part of the EU's 27 leaders to put a woman in the presidency and so boost the EU's profile in the eyes of its citizens.
In some ways, it's a shame. The politically independent Robinson commands much respect across Europe and beyond - more than certain candidates I could mention from Belgium and Luxembourg. It would also be a clever move on the part of the EU's 27 leaders to put a woman in the presidency and so boost the EU's profile in the eyes of its citizens.
more than certain candidates I could mention from Belgium and Luxembourg.
The British establishment continues to look down on the BeNeLux. At this point, I shall note that such propaganda won't result in mnore than heads shaked in disbelief from Eurozone PMs, who know at least Juncker as the Euro group head... *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
However, seeing as we only have one vote out of 27, who on earth is he trying to convince with this nationalist idiocy ? keep to the Fen Causeway
Blair is an expert at the kind of behind-the-scenes battling that got London the Olympics, for example. It's the one who fights hardest and nastiest in the final stages who wins. The media barrage may only be in Britain (though it will probably start to get through to other countries' media), but it's there to do the softening-up. It always was, and still is, about creating an aura of inevitability around the "only candidate".
See Jake S's Blair Scorecard for the voting weights within the European Council.
The Swedish EU Presidency is likely to convene an extraordinary summit of EU leaders in mid-November. It hopes the Lisbon Treaty will be fully ratified by then, paving the way for open discussions on candidates for the EU 'top jobs' and members of the new European Commission. European Council sources told EurActiv that the "extra" summit, to be held only a couple of weeks after the 29-30 October Council meeting, is "likely, but has not been confirmed". A final decision would only become possible once the Czech Republic has completed the country's ratification procedure by signing the Lisbon Treaty into law.
European Council sources told EurActiv that the "extra" summit, to be held only a couple of weeks after the 29-30 October Council meeting, is "likely, but has not been confirmed".
A final decision would only become possible once the Czech Republic has completed the country's ratification procedure by signing the Lisbon Treaty into law.
Côté citoyen, une pétition en ligne "Stop Blair" mobilise très efficacement sur le net et a déjà recueilli plus de 40.000 signatures.
Number 10 has dismissed as speculation reports that Gordon Brown has asked senior officials to lobby in Europe for Tony Blair to become its new president.The Guardian says Europe adviser John Cunliffe and EU ambassador Kim Darroch are discreetly taking soundings. But the prime minister simply said he would back Mr Blair if he put himself forward for the role.
Number 10 has dismissed as speculation reports that Gordon Brown has asked senior officials to lobby in Europe for Tony Blair to become its new president.
The Guardian says Europe adviser John Cunliffe and EU ambassador Kim Darroch are discreetly taking soundings.
But the prime minister simply said he would back Mr Blair if he put himself forward for the role.
The interesting thing is that this silly play has been "leaked". This is wheels within wheels stuff, where you can argue that differnet factions in number 10 are both gung ho for Tony and quietly determined to sabotage him. keep to the Fen Causeway
LUXEMBOURG -- London officially launched its campaign to see former premier Tony Blair installed as European Union president, as EU foreign ministers gathered in Luxembourg on Monday.After a weekend media fightback amid growing continental opposition to the former prime minister taking the reins, ministers were to discuss the kind of leadership they want for Europe in the world.While Czech President Vaclav Klaus has still to sign the Lisbon Treaty that creates the post of full-time EU president, Foreign Secretary David Miliband told journalists that the bloc needs "a strong voice."Miliband, who ruled himself out as a candidate for a second new post of foreign policy supremo, said if Europe "doesn't get its act together," the rest of the world will "conclude that the EU is not ready" to play a global role.
LUXEMBOURG -- London officially launched its campaign to see former premier Tony Blair installed as European Union president, as EU foreign ministers gathered in Luxembourg on Monday.
After a weekend media fightback amid growing continental opposition to the former prime minister taking the reins, ministers were to discuss the kind of leadership they want for Europe in the world.
While Czech President Vaclav Klaus has still to sign the Lisbon Treaty that creates the post of full-time EU president, Foreign Secretary David Miliband told journalists that the bloc needs "a strong voice."
Miliband, who ruled himself out as a candidate for a second new post of foreign policy supremo, said if Europe "doesn't get its act together," the rest of the world will "conclude that the EU is not ready" to play a global role.
It's not his undoubted powers of persuasion that have swayed me, nor the motorcade factor which clinched it for David Miliband, who claims that no one else could stop the traffic in Beijing or Washington or Moscow). I have a different interest. [...] Blair has the distinction, which is a source of national pride in some quarters, of being one of the two greatest living mass murderers. That he commissioned a crime of aggression (waging an unprovoked war, described by the Nuremberg Tribunal as "the supreme international crime") looks incontestable. [...] Within the UK, there is no means of prosecuting Mr Blair. In 2006 the law lords decided that the international crime of aggression has not been incorporated into domestic law. But elsewhere in the world it has been.
Basically, the point is that Blair, in that position, would have to travel to countries where the crime has been incorporated into domestic law, and that people would know when he does.
Clearly, the only place for Blair is in prison. How to get him there is the tricky bit. "Few can believe that suffering, especially by others, is in vain. - Galbraith"
The other being Bush, I suppose? Surely there are worse mass murderers in the Congo that both of these (probably more than 4 million killed over the last decade).
