Tony Blair - his name has been most mentioned from post of president of the European Council (Photo: The Council of the European Union)


Sarkozy suggests Blair EU presidency problematic

HONOR MAHONY

Today @ 09:23 CET

French president Nicolas Sarkozy has indicated that British ex-prime minister Tony Blair may not be acceptable as a future president of the European Council because the UK remains outside the eurozone.

Mr Blair is most consistently mentioned as a contender for the post, which is contained in the Lisbon Treaty, a new institutional rule book the EU is hoping to soon put into force.

But Mr Sarkozy, who originally brought Mr Blair's name into the discussion, now appears to be backing away from him.

When asked by French daily Le Figaro whether Mr Blair is a good candidate for the job, Mr Sarkozy said:

"It is too early to say. There will be a discussion on it. There are two ideas on this: Should there be a strong and charismatic president or a president who facilitates finding a consensus and who organises the work [of the European Council]

"Personally I believe in a Europe that is politically strong and embodied by a person. But the fact that Great Britain is not in the euro remains a problem."

Sixteen of the 27 member states are members of the eurozone. Mr Sarkozy does not elaborate on whether eurozone membership is a general consideration when the president of the European Council post comes up for a discussion.

Of the 11 countries not sharing the common currency, most are central and eastern European states, including Poland, as well as Denmark, Sweden and the UK.

The new presidency post is set to be agreed as part of a general package that includes the new EU foreign minister post, and the new line-up in the European Commission, whose mandate expires at the end of the month.

The new posts are part of the Lisbon Treaty which is awaiting final ratification in the Czech Republic before it can come into force across the European Union.

The posts contain overlapping functions and are expected to be defined by the first people who hold them. Mr Blair has been an apparent frontrunner for several months. His supporters say he will bring charisma and political strength to the job and give Europe a strong international face.

His detractors point to his support of the Iraq war, his relatively weak performance as Middle East envoy and the fact that he comes from a member state that does not take part in key EU policies.

Paris' apparent change of heart on the Blair candidacy as well as Berlin's lukewarm stance on the idea make it hard to see how the former British leader will get the post.

Mr Sarkozy also used the Le Figaro interview to threaten Czech president Vaclav Klaus, who is holding out against signing the Lisbon Treaty.

He called Mr Klaus' stance "unacceptable" adding "decision time is coming for him and it will not be without consequence. And whatever happens, this issue will be resolved by the end of the year."

Although there is exasperation in other capitals at Mr Klaus' stance, other leaders have been reluctant to openly criticise the Czech President for fear that he can make a play on Prague being isolated and bullied to bolster support among ordinary Czechs.

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Austria, Belgium sceptical about Blair EU candidacy

19 October 2009, 20:12 CET

(VIENNA) - Austria and Belgium on Monday took a sceptical view towards former British prime minister Tony Blair becoming the European Union's first president, a key post set up by the Lisbon reform treaty.

Talks inside the 27-nation EU on how to divide up new responsibilities once the Lisbon treaty has been adopted by all countries "raise more questions than answers", visiting Belgian Prime Minister Hermann van Rompuy said.

Speaking at a press conference after talks with van Rompuy, Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said he was "sceptical about Mr. Blair".

Van Rompuy began a tour of EU capitals in Vienna Monday before Belgium takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union on July 1 next year.

Blair's possible candidacy for the post prompted French President Nicolas Sarkozy to warn Friday that Britain's refusal to join the euro currency would be a "problem" for the former prime minister's chances.

Sarkozy was reportedly one of the first EU leaders to put Blair's name forward in 2007.

The former British prime minister has never officially declared himself a candidate but there has been mounting controversy in recent months over his name.

Sarkozy said in an interview that "it is too early to say" whether Blair would be a good candidate for the EU presidency.

While the Lisbon treaty struggles to complete its ratification, some countries -- led by Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands -- have already indicated that Blair does not have a sufficiently pro-European profile for the president's job.

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Man, I never thought I'd find Austrians more sympathetic than Germans. That's what I get, I suppose, for making blanket statements about motherfuckers.

Of COURSE Belgium has beef. They should take that beef, grind it up, and make mitraillettes out of it.

Angela Merkel will make the final decision on whether to back Tony Blair


German party cool on Blair for EU

Page last updated at 11:05 GMT, Wednesday, 28 October 2009

A senior politician in Germany has cast doubt on the suitability of British former Prime Minister Tony Blair to be president of the European Council.

The chief whip of Germany's Free Democrats - the junior partner in the country's new coalition - said he would prefer someone from a smaller country.

Mr Blair is the most high-profile name in the frame for the new EU job.

But the prime minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, has emerged as a serious rival.

While some countries have expressed support for Mr Blair's candidacy, others are cooler on the idea. Germany, the most powerful nation in the EU, has yet to declare its position.

'Europe too dominated'

The chief whip of Germany's Free Democrats, Joerg van Essen, explained his party's position.

"We know Tony Blair for a very long time but I must admit there is a sympathy in my party for candidates from a smaller country," he told the BBC.

"We want to bring European countries closer together, and I think if someone is from a smaller country these people are more sensitive and they know the problems of the smaller ones, and I think that would be helpful for Europe. Europe is too dominated by the biggest ones."

The leader of the Free Democrats, Guido Westerwelle, is Germany's new foreign minister, and so in a position to influence Germany's decision.

However it will be the Chancellor, Angela Merkel, who is expected to make the final decision who to back, says the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Berlin.

The role of president of the European Council is still not defined, but it will involve chairing EU summits and representing the EU on the world stage.

The role will be created if and when the EU's Lisbon Treaty is approved. The Czech Republic is the only country yet to ratify the treaty, but it is under pressure to do so soon.

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Britons against Blair, Miliband getting top EU jobs

31 October 2009, 23:14 CET

(LONDON) - Most Britons are opposed to ex-prime minister Tony Blair or Foreign Secretary David Miliband taking any of the top new EU jobs created by the Lisbon Treaty, an opinion poll out Sunday said.

Some 53 percent of voters did not want Blair to become EU president compared to 36 percent who did. A total of 48 percent did not back Miliband for the EU's top foreign policy job, compared to 29 percent supporting him.

The Sunday Telegraph/ICM poll surveyed 1,007 adults by telephone on October 28 and 29.

The two new posts are being created under the EU's Lisbon Treaty, which only the Czech Republic still has to ratify and is expected to do so soon.

Following negotiations at an EU summit Thursday and Friday, it now seems unlikely Blair will get the top job, although Miliband is still thought to be in the running for the foreign affairs post.

Miliband, however, insists he is not a candidate for the role.

A YouGov survey for The Daily Telegraph on Friday found just 31 percent of people wanted to see Blair -- who led Britain from 1997 to 2007 and took the country into the Iraq war -- take on the new job of president of the European Council.

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Favourites for top EU jobs

04 November 2009, 14:07 CET

(BRUSSELS) - Here is a list of figures linked with the two top EU jobs created under the Lisbon Treaty.

National leaders are expected to meet next week to come up with consensus candidates.

It is a complicated process with the leaders seeking to find a political and geographical balance.

A key factor for deciding on the first EU president will be whether they go for a high-profile high-octane figure or a more modest candidate to play more of an administrative and consensus-building role.

1. President of the European Council

HERMAN VAN ROMPUY: The 62-year-old Belgian prime minister is well versed in the diplomatic art of keeping feuding factions together, as he presides over a coalition government formed from Dutch-speaking parties from the Flemish north and the francophones of the southern region of Wallonia.

That success may be his main handicap. Many Belgian officials fear that losing him to the EU could plunge the country into a fresh crisis.

JAN PETER BALKENENDE: The Christian-Democrat Dutch government chief said last week that he is not a candidate. Nevertheless, EU horse-trading form suggests he could yet become a 'reluctant' compromise name.

His detractors point out that he was in charge when Dutch voters rejected the EU constitution -- the Lisbon Treaty's predecessor -- in 2005.

JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER: Europe's longest-serving leader, Luxembourg's prime minister has said he will take the post if asked. But he could easily become the immovable object that runs into Tony Blair's irresistible force, with doubts also expressed over a sluggish reaction to the global financial crisis.

TONY BLAIR: The 56-year-old former British premier is the heavyweight candidate but his star appears to be falling in Europe. He has the clout to talk nose-to-nose with leaders in China, Russia and the United States. But his role in the Iraq conflict, and opposition based on a series of British opt-outs from core EU policies, such as the euro, suggests it may prove impossible to form a consensus around his candidacy.

WOLFGANG SCHUESSEL: The 64-year-old former Austrian chancellor maintains good relations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Some nations reproach him for opening his coalition government to the extreme right party of Joerg Haider.

JOHN BRUTON: The 62-year-old former Irish prime minister currently holds the key role of EU ambassador to the United States. He is said to be interested and his name has begun to be mentioned.

PAAVO TAPIO LIPPONEN: The former Finnish premier is also a relative unknown on the global stage. But a column in the Financial Times, setting out his views on the EU's institutional future, has been interpreted as a declaration of interest.

VAIRA VIKE-FREIBERGA: Latvia's 'Iron Lady,' the former president has a colourful life story, but at 71, diplomats rate her chances as slim even if the symbolic value of appointing a woman will tempt some.

2. High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy

The job of the foreign affairs supremo can only, by definition, be settled in tandem with the top job. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said he is not available, but as Blair's chances dim his seem to be rising.

Ex-communist and former Italian foreign minister Massimo D'Alema, 60, could get the nod if Miliband isn't chosen, or doesn't accept, and the European socialists secure the post.

Other names mentioned in despatches are Sweden's foreign minister, Carl Bildt, Austrian counterpart Ursula Plassnik and Finland's EU commissioner for enlargement, Olli Rehn.

In both cases, the history of EU jobs jockeying has often thrown up a surprise winner emerging at the post. Portugal's EU Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso being a case in point in 2004.

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Mr Miliband has said he was not available to be a candidate


Miliband 'will not take EU job'

Page last updated at 22:50 GMT, Monday, 9 November 2009

Foreign Secretary David Miliband has rejected the chance to become EU high representative, the BBC understands.

He has been seen as a frontrunner for the foreign affairs job, one of two created by the EU Treaty, even though he had said he was not "available".

But, amid continuing speculation, the BBC understands Mr Miliband told the head of the European socialists' group he was not interested in the job.

Friends have indicated Mr Miliband "sees his future in British politics".

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said Mr Miliband had rejected the lure of high office in Brussels for the uncertainty of life in a Labour government heading for a difficult election.

He said Mr Miliband's friends had told the foreign secretary there was still a small possibility that Gordon Brown might choose to stand down before the election and he would be a natural successor.

Mr Miliband, foreign secretary since 2007, has been touted as a future Labour leader and was urged by some to challenge Mr Brown for the leadership in 2008.

Mr Miliband had responded to speculation he might take the job of EU high representative for foreign affairs by saying he was not "available" to be a candidate.

But speculation continued in several newspapers on Monday that Mr Miliband was still in the running for the EU job, fuelled by his appearance in Germany at celebrations marking 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Candidates must be nominated by the government of one of the EU's 27 member states.

Earlier on Monday Mr Brown's spokesman had been asked if the prime minister would rule out nominating Mr Miliband.

He replied: "The prime minister has no intention of nominating David Miliband, because that is not an eventuality that is actually going to happen, on the basis that David Miliband has made it clear that he doesn't want the job."

Mr Miliband has been campaigning for former Prime Minister Tony Blair to get the other job created by the Lisbon Treaty, that of president of the European Council.

The suggestion has been that Mr Miliband might be in the running for the foreign affairs role if Mr Blair fails to be selected for the job of president.

Sweden currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU and is expected to call a special summit within the next few weeks for leaders to decide on a president and high representative.

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EU to name first permanent president on 19 November

ANDREW RETTMAN

Today @ 09:20 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The Swedish presidency has called an EU summit on 19 November to decide on the bloc's new top appointments, with a Polish proposal to hold candidate hearings gaining limited acceptance.

The summit will be in the format of an EU leaders' dinner in Brussels and comes after two weeks of consultations between Stockholm and the other EU capitals.

"It is hoped that at the summit, agreement can be reached on the appointment of the three new top EU posts regulated in the Treaty of Lisbon," the presidency said in a statement on Wednesday morning (11 November).

The move will be a significant moment in the history of the EU, which started out as a free trade bloc 50 years ago but which is little by little acquiring the trappings of a genuine political union.

The three positions in question are the new president of the European Council and EU foreign relations chief, as well as the largely bureaucratic appointment of a new secretary general of the Council, the Brussels-based institution which prepares member states' day-to-day meetings.

Gossip still favours Belgian Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy for the presidency post but British foreign minister David Miliband's denials of interest in the second post have thrown the race open on the foreign relations side.

Meanwhile, a Polish suggestion that candidates should give job interview-type presentations at the dinner before the final choice is made is gaining in popularity.

Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski and his Lithuanian counterpart, Vygaudas Usackas, have spent the past 24 hours promoting the idea in EU capitals, including at a high-level dinner in Madrid on Tuesday with delegates from Italy, Belgium, Ireland, Finland and Hungary.

Finland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Latvia support Poland and Lithuania, while the Swedish presidency is also "in favour," a high-level source told EUobserver.

The proposal is designed to help smaller member states have a say in the selection process amid concerns that Germany, France and the UK aim to push through a back-room deal.

If the plan goes ahead it would be a diplomatic coup for Warsaw, which was pushed to the edge of EU decision-making by the confrontational politics of the Kaczynski government in 2006 and 2007.

With just one week to go to 19 November, Paris does not seem enamoured of the idea, however. "For the time being it is not being discussed," a French diplomat told this website.

A former British EU ambassador, Stephen Wall, also poured cold water on the scheme, saying that the appointment is about balancing national and political interests in Europe, rather than individual merit.

"Given that they have to placate the right, the left, the north, the south, the large and small nations, you could have a brilliant presentation but, if the politics didn't fit, what would be the point?" he said in an article in the New York Times on Tuesday.

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