On the eve of a summit meeting aimed at healing Europe's ideological divisions, Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain called Wednesday for a transformation of the European Union's economic approach and warned critics that Europe needed to embrace globalization if it wanted "to put the EU back together again."

The speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg was greeted equally with heckles and applause, suggesting the difficulties Blair will face Thursday when he plays host to an informal summit meeting in Hampton Court, near London, aimed at reviving Europe's stagnating economies and reconciling political differences.

"A summit to relaunch a paralyzed Europe has been downgraded to a friendly chat," said Monica Frassoni, co-leader of the Greens in the European Parliament.

Blair's speech marked a sharp contrast to a fiery speech he made to Parliament in June when Britain assumed the rotating six-month EU presidency, when his calls for radical reform were greeted with rapture in Parliament.

But Wednesday, Blair inspired a generally muted response. Lawmakers came to life only when the prime minister made a quip about Hampton Court, the location of the summit Thursday and the former residence of Henry VIII.

"As Henry VIII said to his wives, I won't keep you long," Blair said.

Analysts said Blair was trying to show humility at a time when Europe's ideological rifts are widening.

"He is trying to lower expectations ahead of the summit," said Charles Grant, director of the Center for European Reform, a London-based think-tank.

Even his biggest supporters were cautious.