Tony Blair would be a most unsuitable president for the European Union

So, the EU has had a placeholder for a common foreign policy for aboout 15 years now, but the Council can't stop bickering and, since unanimous agreement is required, no actual Common Policy exists to speak of. The CFSP is, then, a confederate foreign policy - foreign policy remains with the Member States and any common policy would be agreed collegiately.

The Second Pillar is, therefore, a Council competence. However, the Commission has long had a (technocratic) Directorate General for external relations. The (political) position of Commisioner for External Relations will be merged with the High Representative for the CFSP and become one of the four top jobs in the European Union. This, IMHO, weakens the Commission by explicitly reducing its foreign relations to Trade relations and taking political issues closer to the council.

Now, Blair as president of the Council would want to usurp these attributions of the HRCFSP. That is what the whole Blair row is all about. A move of foreign relations from the Commission towards the Council, to a position somewhat in the middle of the two. But Blair has hinted that he only wants the job of Council President if he can also take over some of the attributions of the HRCFSP, as well as those of the Commissioner for Trade.

Guardian Unlimited Politics: I'll be president of Europe if you give me the power - Blair (February 2, 2008)

Tony Blair has been holding discussions with some of his oldest allies on how he could mount a campaign later this year to become full-time president of the EU council, the prestigious new job characterised as "president of Europe". Blair, currently the Middle East envoy for the US, Russia, EU and the UN, has told friends he has made no final decision, but is increasingly willing to put himself forward for the job if it comes with real powers to intervene in defence and trade affairs.

(my emphasis) Compare this with the description of the Council President in the Lisbon Treaty Article 1.16) [PDF]

6. The President of the European Council:
(a) shall chair it and drive forward its work;
(b) shall ensure the preparation and continuity of the work of the European Council in cooperation with the President of the Commission, and on the basis of the work of the General Affairs Council;
(c) shall endeavour to facilitate cohesion and consensus within the European Council;
(d) shall present a report to the European Parliament after each of the meetings  of the European Council.
The President of the European Council shall, at his level and in that capacity, ensure the external representation of the Union on issues concerning its common foreign and security policy, without prejudice to the powers of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
The President of the European Council shall not hold a national office.'.

(my emphasis)

In connection with this, it may have escaped notice that there is already a person doing the job that the Treaty of Lisbon spells out for the President of the Council. This is not the HRCFSP. The job title is Secretary General of the Council and the holder of the job is the same Javier Solana that is currently HRCFSP.

The role of the General Secretariat of the Council is to provide the intellectual and practical infrastructure for the Council at four levels: working party, Permanent Representatives Committee, Council of Ministers and European Council. It carries out the practical preparation for meetings and drafts reports, notes, minutes and records and prepares draft agendas. It is more particularly at the disposal of the Presidency to assist in its tasks of finding compromise solutions, coordinating work and summing up situations. It provides the continuity in Council proceedings and has custody of Council archives and acts. Its Legal Service is available to give opinions to the Council and its committees. A large number of officials work at translation, typing, reproduction, circulation and handling of documents.

In other words, Blair actually wants to take over both of Javier Solana's current jobs, even though the Treaty of Lisbon explicitly makes them quite distinct.

So, in my mind it is essential that the President of the Council be an unassuming personality, not chosen for their great oratory, media savvy and their ability and willingness to strut the globe representing the EU. That's what the HRCFSP is about, and that will be a separate job. The Council President has to be someone who has the ability to facilitate coalition building within the council and broker agreements. Blair is not the person for this, he has shown that in spades through ten years of experience on the Council as PM, and for six months while he held the rotating presidency. Taking a cue from redstar's latest diary, I'd say that the Council President should be a former Foreign Minister of a mid-sized country. Also note that the Council will be writing the job description this year, before filling the position, and that the Devil is in the details of how the council will define the job of its President.