With the Irish 'yes' in the bag, the Lisbon Treaty, which would create the post of EU president, has moved closer to becoming reality. Some say Tony Blair will get the job. Others say he's from the wrong country. Of the eight former heads of state or government whose names have been bandied about on and off since the European Union decided to create the post, Tony Blair has always been considered one of the strongest candidates. He has the support of his native Britain, Ireland, France and Italy. But not everyone is lining up behind him, as a letter released by the Benelux countries on Tuesday goes to show. In their missive, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg outlined what they would be looking for in a president. They said the successful candidate ought to "demonstrate his European engagement and a developed vision on all the Union's policies." One diplomat interpreted the statement as a polite way of telling Blair that they don't think he is "best placed" to get the job.
Of the eight former heads of state or government whose names have been bandied about on and off since the European Union decided to create the post, Tony Blair has always been considered one of the strongest candidates. He has the support of his native Britain, Ireland, France and Italy.
But not everyone is lining up behind him, as a letter released by the Benelux countries on Tuesday goes to show. In their missive, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg outlined what they would be looking for in a president.
They said the successful candidate ought to "demonstrate his European engagement and a developed vision on all the Union's policies."
One diplomat interpreted the statement as a polite way of telling Blair that they don't think he is "best placed" to get the job.
After Ireland's Yes vote on the Lisbon Treaty, many Britons see their former Prime Minister Tony Blair as a shoe-in to become the first president of the EU. But his appointment is far from certain. There are deep misgivings across the EU about handing the top job to the old friend of George W. Bush. "A spectre is haunting Europe," wrote London Mayor Boris Johnson in his column in the Daily Telegraph this week. But the op ed quickly departed from the original text of the "Communist Manifesto." "That spectre has a famously toothy grin" and "an almost diabolical gift of political self-reinvention." Johnson, of course, is referring to Tony Blair, British prime minister from 1997 to 2007 and the favorite foe of British conservatives. The electorate, Johnson wrote, thought they had "finally gotten rid of the fellow" only to have him return as a "kind of Euro-emperor" aboard a "Blair Force One Jumbo Jet." For much of the British press, whether they like or hate the idea, it is seen as a foregone conclusion that Tony Blair will become the first European Union president, a position called for by the Lisbon Treaty, which seems likely to clear the remaining ratification hurdles. "Tony could be named by the end of October," the tabloid Sun wrote last week, quoting an anonymous government source. The Observer also referred to Blair as the "clear favorite."
After Ireland's Yes vote on the Lisbon Treaty, many Britons see their former Prime Minister Tony Blair as a shoe-in to become the first president of the EU. But his appointment is far from certain. There are deep misgivings across the EU about handing the top job to the old friend of George W. Bush.
"A spectre is haunting Europe," wrote London Mayor Boris Johnson in his column in the Daily Telegraph this week. But the op ed quickly departed from the original text of the "Communist Manifesto." "That spectre has a famously toothy grin" and "an almost diabolical gift of political self-reinvention."
Johnson, of course, is referring to Tony Blair, British prime minister from 1997 to 2007 and the favorite foe of British conservatives. The electorate, Johnson wrote, thought they had "finally gotten rid of the fellow" only to have him return as a "kind of Euro-emperor" aboard a "Blair Force One Jumbo Jet."
For much of the British press, whether they like or hate the idea, it is seen as a foregone conclusion that Tony Blair will become the first European Union president, a position called for by the Lisbon Treaty, which seems likely to clear the remaining ratification hurdles. "Tony could be named by the end of October," the tabloid Sun wrote last week, quoting an anonymous government source. The Observer also referred to Blair as the "clear favorite."
For much of the British press, whether they like or hate the idea, it is seen as a foregone conclusion that Tony Blair will become the first European Union president[]
A former right-hand man of Tony Blair is to lead Britain's fight to draw up a global role for the EU's new president in the face of opposition from countries determined to limit the job -- and the possibility that Mr Blair will want it. Mr Blair sent Sir Kim Darroch to be Britain's Ambassador to Brussels in 2007. Sir Kim was at Mr Blair's side in No 10 for three years, acting as a Europe adviser and helping in tough negotiations to keep the British budget rebate. With the Benelux nations now seeking to curtail the president's role in a move seen as an attempt to wreck Mr Blair's candidacy, Sir Kim has the task of ensuring that the job lives up to the original vision -- and the expectations of his former boss. The pressure increased yesterday with the disclosure that Fredrik Reinfeldt, the Swedish Prime Minister in charge of drawing up a shortlist for the job, was wary of appointing a president who would put existing European institutions and small countries "in the shadows".
A former right-hand man of Tony Blair is to lead Britain's fight to draw up a global role for the EU's new president in the face of opposition from countries determined to limit the job -- and the possibility that Mr Blair will want it.
Mr Blair sent Sir Kim Darroch to be Britain's Ambassador to Brussels in 2007. Sir Kim was at Mr Blair's side in No 10 for three years, acting as a Europe adviser and helping in tough negotiations to keep the British budget rebate.
With the Benelux nations now seeking to curtail the president's role in a move seen as an attempt to wreck Mr Blair's candidacy, Sir Kim has the task of ensuring that the job lives up to the original vision -- and the expectations of his former boss.
The pressure increased yesterday with the disclosure that Fredrik Reinfeldt, the Swedish Prime Minister in charge of drawing up a shortlist for the job, was wary of appointing a president who would put existing European institutions and small countries "in the shadows".
But there are four arguments for Mr Blair. First, notwithstanding Iraq, he has a track record as a successful politician. He brokered a peace deal for Northern Ireland, while his recent work on the Palestinian economy shows a commitment to settling the Middle East conflict. As for the EU, he invented its defence policy (with Jacques Chirac, the former French president), helped create the Lisbon agenda of economic reform, and ensured that climate change and energy security became priorities. Second, Mr Blair would give the EU credibility in other parts of the world. When the leader of a small country represents the EU - as sometimes happens with the current, rotating presidency - other powers do not always take it seriously. In January during the Gaza conflict, the Czech prime minister - then EU president - was not a big player in the diplomacy that tried to resolve it. The new EU president will take on that external role. Recently an Indian official said to me: "If you want us to respect your EU president, choose someone we have heard of, like Mr Blair, Angela Merkel or Nicolas Sarkozy. If you choose the prime minister of Luxembourg we may not find the time to meet him."Third, Mr Blair is a great salesman. One of the EU's big problems is that few citizens understand what it does, how it works or why it adds value. Mr Blair's communications skills would help the Union get its message across, within Europe and beyond.Finally, Mr Blair could help the EU to cope with the Conservatives, who seem likely to form a British government by mid-2010. They have yet to define their EU policies but may try to opt out of parts of the Lisbon treaty or the institutions of EU defence. If David Cameron, the Tory leader, does start to move against the EU, who better to argue back than President Blair? In private he would try to dissuade Mr Cameron but, if that failed, he would defend the EU eloquently before the court of British public opinion. Though Mr Blair's presence in Brussels would provoke eurosceptics, many Britons might start to see that the EU is not an anti-British project.The EU president will have to work with the Commission president (Mr Blair and Mr Barroso get on well) and with the new high representative for foreign policy. If Mr Blair becomes president, the high representative will need to be someone more interested in the nitty-gritty. Mr Blair would have to be modest enough not to provoke fears of empire-building among the governments, but strong enough to offer leadership and ideas, to help to forge a consensus and, when necessary, knock heads together. He would be a risky choice. But he might inspire the EU to shift its focus from sterile institutional debates towards global challenges such as climate change, energy security, nuclear proliferation and the Middle East.
But there are four arguments for Mr Blair. First, notwithstanding Iraq, he has a track record as a successful politician. He brokered a peace deal for Northern Ireland, while his recent work on the Palestinian economy shows a commitment to settling the Middle East conflict. As for the EU, he invented its defence policy (with Jacques Chirac, the former French president), helped create the Lisbon agenda of economic reform, and ensured that climate change and energy security became priorities.
Second, Mr Blair would give the EU credibility in other parts of the world. When the leader of a small country represents the EU - as sometimes happens with the current, rotating presidency - other powers do not always take it seriously. In January during the Gaza conflict, the Czech prime minister - then EU president - was not a big player in the diplomacy that tried to resolve it. The new EU president will take on that external role. Recently an Indian official said to me: "If you want us to respect your EU president, choose someone we have heard of, like Mr Blair, Angela Merkel or Nicolas Sarkozy. If you choose the prime minister of Luxembourg we may not find the time to meet him."
Third, Mr Blair is a great salesman. One of the EU's big problems is that few citizens understand what it does, how it works or why it adds value. Mr Blair's communications skills would help the Union get its message across, within Europe and beyond.
Finally, Mr Blair could help the EU to cope with the Conservatives, who seem likely to form a British government by mid-2010. They have yet to define their EU policies but may try to opt out of parts of the Lisbon treaty or the institutions of EU defence. If David Cameron, the Tory leader, does start to move against the EU, who better to argue back than President Blair? In private he would try to dissuade Mr Cameron but, if that failed, he would defend the EU eloquently before the court of British public opinion. Though Mr Blair's presence in Brussels would provoke eurosceptics, many Britons might start to see that the EU is not an anti-British project.
The EU president will have to work with the Commission president (Mr Blair and Mr Barroso get on well) and with the new high representative for foreign policy. If Mr Blair becomes president, the high representative will need to be someone more interested in the nitty-gritty. Mr Blair would have to be modest enough not to provoke fears of empire-building among the governments, but strong enough to offer leadership and ideas, to help to forge a consensus and, when necessary, knock heads together. He would be a risky choice. But he might inspire the EU to shift its focus from sterile institutional debates towards global challenges such as climate change, energy security, nuclear proliferation and the Middle East.
his recent work on the Palestinian economy shows a commitment to settling the Middle East conflict
helped create the Lisbon agenda of economic reform
When the leader of a small country represents the EU - as sometimes happens with the current, rotating presidency - other powers do not always take it seriously. In January during the Gaza conflict, the Czech prime minister - then EU president - was not a big player in the diplomacy that tried to resolve it. The new EU president will take on that external role.
One of the EU's big problems is that few citizens understand what it does, how it works or why it adds value. Mr Blair's communications skills would help the Union get its message across
If David Cameron, the Tory leader, does start to move against the EU, who better to argue back than President Blair?
In private he would try to dissuade Mr Cameron but, if that failed, he would defend the EU eloquently before the court of British public opinion.
The EU president will have to work with the Commission president (Mr Blair and Mr Barroso get on well) and with the new high representative for foreign policy. If Mr Blair becomes president, the high representative will need to be someone more interested in the nitty-gritty.
Mr Blair would have to be modest enough not to provoke fears of empire-building among the governments, but strong enough to offer leadership and ideas, to help to forge a consensus and, when necessary, knock heads together.
He would be a risky choice.
But he might inspire the EU to shift its focus from sterile institutional debates towards global challenges such as climate change, energy security, nuclear proliferation and the Middle East.
Energy Security? Don't make me laugh. The Scottish oil and gas fields in the North Sea peaked under his watch and he had not bothered to commission forecasts when he came into office, or to act on them, and all he did afterwards was scream that it was the bloody Russians' fault (or the bloody French or Dutch for not sharing).
Nuclear Proliferation? To Blair Trident was non-negotiable. He wasn't even arguing to keep them as a bargaining chip for negotiating disarmament at some global forum or other.
The Middle East? Just because he was appointed "quartet envoy" doesn't mean he's done anything. Or that the "quartet" is an impartial or effectual player anyway.
Climate Change? Much talk and no action. The UK still lags behind most of the rest of Europe in exploiting its wind resource, which is better than most others'. And the British government is one of the first to mention the need to protect "growth" as an excuse to do nothing on the environment. En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
Resistance is growing to the idea of Tony Blair securing the future EU president's post, with federalist Benelux countries loath to hand the job to the former prime minister of eurosceptic Britain. Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands this week presented a joint letter sketching out their ideal future president of the European Council, a post foreseen under the Lisbon Treaty which Irish voters endorsed last week. The successful candidate must "demonstrate his European engagement and a developed vision on all the Union's policies," the three Benelux countries stated. "This is not a categorical veto on Blair, but a polite way of saying that he is not the best placed" candidate, said a European diplomat, decrypting the letter. The EU president job will not even come into force before the Lisbon Treaty is ratified in all 27 member states and, after last week's Irish vote, the Czech Republic and Poland are still to complete the process. Nevertheless Blair has emerged as the early favourite for the key post, with support not only from the British government but also from France. But his path is hampered by his own country's ambivalence to European construction. Seen as having one foot in Europe and the other out, Britain is neither a member of the single currency eurozone nor the passport-free Schengen area.
Resistance is growing to the idea of Tony Blair securing the future EU president's post, with federalist Benelux countries loath to hand the job to the former prime minister of eurosceptic Britain.
Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands this week presented a joint letter sketching out their ideal future president of the European Council, a post foreseen under the Lisbon Treaty which Irish voters endorsed last week.
The successful candidate must "demonstrate his European engagement and a developed vision on all the Union's policies," the three Benelux countries stated.
"This is not a categorical veto on Blair, but a polite way of saying that he is not the best placed" candidate, said a European diplomat, decrypting the letter.
The EU president job will not even come into force before the Lisbon Treaty is ratified in all 27 member states and, after last week's Irish vote, the Czech Republic and Poland are still to complete the process.
Nevertheless Blair has emerged as the early favourite for the key post, with support not only from the British government but also from France.
But his path is hampered by his own country's ambivalence to European construction. Seen as having one foot in Europe and the other out, Britain is neither a member of the single currency eurozone nor the passport-free Schengen area.
