I Want to Lead Europe (But Not Now), Says Tony Blair
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Tony Blair has hinted that he would like to be president of the European Union.

The former Labour Prime Minister left open the option when he told BBC Radio that he did not want a major job in the EU “at the moment”.

Asked on BBC Radio Four’s World at One if he had would like to be the elected president of the EU, he said: “I think that’s a way, way down the line”.

But he added: “When the European presidency came up last time I would have taken it if the job had been offered, but I’ve no thought of stepping back into politics, European politics, at this moment.”

Tony Blair today questioned the very survival of the euro unless growth is linked to fundamental reform in Europe.

Mr Blair, who wanted to take Britain into the euro during his premiership, said the only long-term solution was for Germany to stand fully behind the single currency. » | Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent | Sunday, June 17, 2012

BBC: Tony Blair says UK must help shape post-crisis Europe: Tony Blair says it is "critical" that the UK helps to shape the political reconstruction of Europe in the wake of the eurozone crisis. » | Sunday, June 17, 2012

MSN: Blair warns of need for reform: Tony Blair has questioned the very survival of the euro unless growth is linked to fundamental reform in Europe. » | Sunday, June 17, 2012

BBC: The World This Weekend » | Sunday, June 17, 2012

Blair for President? 'Not Necessarily a Good Idea,' Says His Former Adviser
THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: And polls throughout Europe – and 38,000 petition signatories – agree. Jane Merrick reports on the gathering momentum to stop the former PM

Tony Blair's former chief adviser on the EU has misgivings about the ex-prime minister becoming President of Europe, as the campaign to overturn his bid gathers pace.

Sir Stephen Wall – one of the key architects of the post of EU president – said a high-profile figure such as Mr Blair was "not necessarily a very good idea" and cast doubt on his ability to build consensus among EU leaders. A figure from a smaller state would send a "unifying signal", he added.

The surprise intervention came amid growing signs that a President Blair would not be welcomed by ordinary citizens of Europe, despite their leaders showing support.

Research by The Independent on Sunday suggests a democratic discrepancy between voters and national leaders – who wield the votes for the new president. The findings are supported by a European-wide petition to stop Mr Blair taking the post, which comes with a string of perks. Nearly 38,000 people have signed the petition, yet he remains a favourite with bookmakers and with a growing number of EU leaders.

After the IoS asked readers' opinions last week, hundreds responded – and those saying No to Mr Blair outnumbered Yes by 20 to 1. His role in the Iraq war was the main complaint. As the process for choosing a European Council president draws to a close later this year, Mr Blair is expected to appear before the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war.

Comments from readers and petitioners suggest that Mr Blair appears to have misjudged the public anger that still exists over Iraq. Last night sources close to the former prime minister claimed he remained focused on his job as Middle East envoy and was "really enjoying his new life".

The EU president, a role created by the Lisbon Treaty, will be decided before the end of this year, with only Vaclav Klaus, the Czech president, yet to ratify the charter. Despite voters' opposition, EU leaders appear to be inching towards acclamation of Mr Blair at a meeting in Brussels in December. Yet Sir Stephen, who criticised Mr Blair over Iraq, said in an interview with the journal European Voice that the ex-PM would not be suitable if the post was designed for consensus-building in the 27-nation bloc.

Sir Stephen was the UK's permanent representative to the EU between 1995 and 2000, before working as Mr Blair's European adviser until 2004. During his time at No 10, Sir Stephen helped devise the posts of president and European foreign affairs representative.

Asked about the possibility of a high-profile figure such as Mr Blair as president, Sir Stephen said: "[That] is not necessarily a very good idea." >>> Jane Merrick | Sunday, October 18, 2009

Leading Article: We Won't Get Fooled Again
THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: Tony Blair has many fine qualities. He can be a brilliant advocate; and he has a gift – although he found its limit – for finding agreement among apparently incompatible interests. His supporters also put forward other qualifications for the post of President of the European Council: he has experience of working with European institutions; as Prime Minister he sought to engage Britain more constructively in the European Union – again within limits; and, whatever the critics might say, he is well known and respected among world leaders.

However, The Independent on Sunday cannot support his undeclared candidacy for the job that is now almost certain to be created. This is not simply a matter of his decision to join the American invasion of Iraq. That was an error of judgement, and an important one. It must count against him in consideration for any leadership position. But the Iraq war also undermines Mr Blair's claim to be a unifying force. The issue itself was divisive, pitting the governments of the European Union against each other. When the choice between Britain's relationship with America and its relationship with the rest of Europe became unfudgeable, Mr Blair chose America, which speaks volumes about his instincts.

Mr Blair rode roughshod over popular opinion across Europe, and misled people at home. He used information selectively to help persuade Cabinet and Parliament of the case for military action. As we say, he was a forceful advocate, sometimes stretching the facts to the utmost in order to make his case. His lawyerly persuasiveness may be useful in presenting Europe's case to the rest of the world, but it is not necessarily the ability that makes for the best chairman of summits of European leaders. As we report today, this is the view of none other than Sir Stephen Wall. ... >>> | Sunday, October 18, 2009

Tony Blair’s High Profile Hurting His Chances in Bid to Lead Europe
TIMES ONLINE: Tony Blair’s chances of becoming Europe’s first president have suffered a setback as his critics begin to build their case against him.

As more countries declare their hand on Mr Blair’s perceived suitability, a row is intensifying over exactly what job the former Prime Minister — or anybody else — will take up if and when the Lisbon treaty is ratified. Smaller countries led by Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands — the Benelux trio — want a narrow, chairman-style role for EU summits; Silvio Berlusconi and President Sarkozy believe that the president should become the grandiloquent face of Europe.

The Times, which contacted all 27 member states to gauge the strength of support for Mr Blair, found that he appears to be suffering from being the most prominent name linked to the new role, with his high profile deterring some EU members from picking him in case he ignores them and their interests.

One ally said: “Tony Blair has become both the benchmark and a target. But until he knows what the job involves he cannot make a decision about it.”

Poland is preparing to publish a paper calling for the role of president to be limited, The Times has learnt, echoing an earlier demand from the three Benelux countries, which was seen as an anti-Blair move. The Benelux countries want the new role of EU foreign minister to become the real global statesman.

In addition, this week the French President appeared to distance himself from Mr Blair when he acknowledged that several EU states wanted someone from a country that participated in the euro.

Only three EU leaders have come out publicly for Mr Blair: Mr Berlusconi, Brian Cowen of Ireland and Gordon Brown, who has said that he will support him if he decides to stand. At present Mr Blair is the international envoy to the Middle East and although his interest in the European post is widely known, it is understood that he is unlikely to want a purely Brussels-based bureaucratic job. >>> David Charter | Saturday, October 17, 2009

Stop Blair ! Petition against the nomination of Tony Blair as "President of the European Union" >>>

Opposition Grows to Tony Blair's Bid for E.U. President
TIME: Here's a riddle: What unites French Socialists and British Conservatives, brings feminists together with the editors of prurient tabloid newspapers and gives shared purpose to a clutch of small European countries and more than 37,000 signatories to an online petition? Answer: Tony Blair. Across Europe, natural adversaries and strange bedfellows are finding common purpose in their efforts to stop Britain's former Prime Minister from assuming the role popularly known as president of Europe.

When Ireland and Poland ratified the Lisbon Treaty earlier this month, that left only Czech President Vaclav Klaus holding out against the document that is designed to re-engineer the European Union's institutions to better match the realities of its expanded membership. Once Klaus signs the treaty — frantic efforts are afoot to try to persuade him to do so — the E.U. can start its highest-level executive-recruitment search to date. The treaty would create two top E.U. jobs: president of the European Council and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, effectively the E.U.'s foreign minister. Blair is seen as front runner for the presidency.

You might think Blair's international cachet would be cause for British hearts to swell with pride, but some of his most bitter opponents are homegrown. Opinion polls point to an expected Conservative victory in British parliamentary elections in May 2010, and the Tories will campaign on a Euroskeptic platform that has already seen them withdraw from the main Conservative grouping in the European Parliament to cobble together an anti-federalist alternative. They dislike the idea of a high-profile, high-powered E.U. president such as Blair, who would surely increase the influence of Brussels. But many Tories also feel personal animus toward the politician whose electoral success consigned them to the wilderness for so long. "Having President Blair would put us in a state of permanent warfare if we won the election. I cannot stress how serious this is," an unnamed Tory source recently told Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper. >>> Catherine Mayer, London | Wednesday, October 15, 2009

Could You Really Stomach Blair Being EU President?
If Tony Blair is voted in as EU president he will add £247,000 a year to his earnings. But Angela Merkel, Germany's Chancellor, is said to be less enthusiastic than she was about his candidacy. Photo: The INdependent
THE INDEPENDENT: As Cherie admits to doubts about the decision to go to war with Iraq, Tony Blair's European support is beginning to falter

Many hold him responsible for "war crimes" in Iraq, while others think he is only interested in piling up a vast fortune from speaking engagements and property. But there are still some in Europe who believe Tony Blair should be anointed as the first President of the EU this month. Last week, Mr Blair was in Canada posing for pictures at £180 a time. On Friday, he attended the commemoration at St Paul's for the soldiers who died in the Iraq war. This Tuesday, he will face more raw anger from families of soldiers when the first independent and public inquiry into the war begins in London.

The former prime minister will come under the scrutiny of the Chilcot Inquiry into the six-year campaign as he lobbies for votes in Europe to be the EU's first president. To make matters worse, his wife Cherie yesterday said the Iraq war was a "51-49" decision, adding that Mr Blair had been very good at "convincing everybody else that it was a 70-30 decision".

As emotions continued to run high at home, doubts surfaced in mainland Europe that enough of the 27 member states would have the stomach to choose Mr Blair as their president – with a salary of £247,000. >>> Jane Merrick | Sunday, October 11, 2009

’President Tony Blair’ to Pocket £3.6m Pay
THE SUN: TONY Blair will pocket £3.65MILLION if he wins his bid to be first President of Europe.

The mega deal emerged as Ireland's PM yesterday backed him for the job.

Mr Blair's salary will be at least £270,000 - £1.35million during his five-year term.

He will pay a paltry 25 per cent tax under EU rules - while raking in a fortune in perks. They include a £40,500 annual housing allowance, £16,000-a-year for entertaining, a chauffeured limo, 20 staff, fees paid for his kids' education and a huge pension. >>> Graeme Wilson, Political Editor | Monday, October 05, 2009

Melanie Phillips: If Cameron Doesn’t Stop Blair Being Shoehorned as EU President, There’ll Be No Point in Him Becoming Britain’s Prime Minister
MAIL ONLINE: By the end of the Tory party conference, which starts today in Manchester, it would come as no surprise to find that Jerusalem had been replaced by the Czech national anthem.

It appears that David Cameron is sweating on the Czech Republic to help him escape from the biggest dilemma he faces.

Now that the Irish people have had their arms twisted to deliver the required 'yes' vote on the EU's constitutional Lisbon treaty, a deeply unwelcome ball has been bounced into Cameron's court.

He has promised that Britain would hold its own referendum on the treaty - but only if it has not been ratified by every other country, and thus is not in operation, by the time he comes to power.

Ireland's 'yes' vote increases the likelihood that it will be in operation by the next General Election. Only the Poles and Czechs now stand in its way.

The Poles are said to be likely to roll over soon; the Czech constitutional court is considering whether the treaty is consistent with Czech law.

If the Czechs say no, Cameron is off the hook. The big question, however, is whether Cameron will hold a referendum if the treaty has been ratified. He ducked it again yesterday.

The Irish vote has changed nothing, he protested. Well, nothing - and everything.

Yesterday, Tory Euro-federalists and Eurosceptics were trading blows about this even before the conference had properly started.

However, those who are calling for the referendum pledge to be honoured, even if the treaty is in force, fail to acknowledge that it would not be possible to renounce the treaty at that point because it would have turned into the constitution of Europe.

Notoriously, Cameron merely says that if the treaty has already been ratified the Tories 'will not let matters rest there'. What on earth does this mean?

If he is seriously suggesting that he would then try to repatriate certain powers to this country as he has pledged to do, he is being - to put it politely - disingenuous.

The EU constitution that the treaty brings into being cannot be undone or unpicked.

As Cameron desperately tried to shut this issue down yesterday, he was in danger of thus giving the impression that he did not grasp why Europe is indeed an issue of overriding importance.

If this constitution comes into force, the EU will be changed, unalterably and for ever, into a wholly new entity: a 27-nation superstate with no democratic legitimacy which will nevertheless rule our lives - and, in all probability, with Tony Blair as its President.

It would be beyond intolerable if, at the very moment that the British electorate finally voted out the government he led and consigned Blairism to the bin, the man who did so much damage to Britain as its Prime Minister should be shoehorned into a post which makes him the effective ruler of this country.

For if this constitution comes into effect, Britain and the other EU member states will no longer be self-governing nations.

Foreign policy, defence, social, economic and welfare policies, immigration, internal security - every national interest will be subordinated to this new anti-democratic entity.

As such, 'President' Blair would be committing the single most treacherous act of all towards his own country - taking away its own democratic power of self-government.

And as a zealot whose aim has always been to supersede the nation state by trans-national bodies which promise the arrival of the brotherhood of man, we can be sure that 'President' Blair would make full use of the despotic powers of the EU constitution to impose upon us all a frightening degree of uniformity and control.

So David Cameron would have defeated Labour only to find himself once again being ruled by Tony Blair. >>> Melanie Phillips | Monday, October 05, 2009

If Europe Does Get a President, It Definitely Won't Be Tony Blair
THE TELEGRAPH: Boris Johnson wagers – a fiver – that the former PM will not be granted his dream of ruling 500m people.

A spectre is haunting Europe, my friends. That spectre has a famously toothy grin and an eye of glistering sincerity and an almost diabolical gift of political self-reinvention. Barely two years after he stood down as prime minister, it seems that Tony Blair is about to thrust himself back into our lives. It turns out that he is not content merely to be in charge of brokering peace in the Middle East – which you would have thought was a full-time job for anyone. It isn't enough to potter around the world making speeches about climate change and Africa. He wants more, much more, than to consecrate his remaining days to the promotion of inter-faith dialogue and school sport.

With his colossal mortgages in Buckinghamshire and London's Connaught Square, you might have thought he needed to stick firmly on the after-dinner circuit. You might have thought that the Blair finances oblige him to keep making boss-eyed speeches to armies of tuxedoed Arizona neo-cons about the importance of the special relationship and beating up Saddam Hussein. Well, not any more, it seems. Blair has evidently piled up such a fortune that he is ready for one more big public job, and we now discover that his extinction as prime minister was only the prelude for his re-emergence – like some wizard in The Lord of the Rings – in a guise more powerful than we can possibly imagine.

He wants to be President of Europe. He wants to be the one-man incarnation of the wishes of 500 million people and 27 countries. He wants to be the answer to the decades old question originally posed by Henry Kissinger: "Who should the President of the United States ring if he wants to be put in urgent contact with Europe?" >>> Boris Johnson | Monday, October 05, 2009

Tony Blair, the EU President No One Really Wants

THE SUNDAY TIMES: The reluctant vote in favour of further European integration by the Irish this weekend may usher Tony Blair into a new role as titular head of the European Union — despite most of Europe being reluctant to have him.

The former prime minister is the leading candidate to become the European Union president for a want of alternatives rather than any enthusiasm.

With the Irish having finally ratified the Lisbon treaty, all that remains is for the Czech and Polish presidents to sign it and authorise the creation of two new key posts in the EU hierarchy: the president of the European council of heads of state, popularly known as the EU president, and that of high representative for common foreign and security policy, in effect a foreign minister.

The Swedish prime minister, who holds the rotating presidency of the EU, indicated last week that he wanted the president and foreign minister to be appointed by the end of this month.

Blair owes his 6-4 odds for the job to the fact that the offices will probably be divvied up between the social democrat and conservative blocs among the EU heads of state. Although Blair appears to be disliked by all parties, especially by his supposed allies on the left, he may end up being elected because of the lack of another suitable candidate from the social democrat group.

Only two other possible social democratic candidates have emerged — Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, a former Danish prime minister, and Felipe Gonzalez, a former prime minister of Spain — and neither has the international clout of Blair. The same is true of the potential conservative candidates Jean-Claude Juncker, the prime minister of Luxembourg, and Jan Peter Balkenende, his Dutch equivalent.

The president will be elected by all 27 EU leaders, but the attitude of France and Germany is crucial. French diplomats last week indicated that Blair remained the preferred choice of President Nicolas Sarkozy, putting the ball into the court of Angela Merkel, the newly re-elected German chancellor. Blair is disliked intensely by Berlin for his role in the Iraq war and his perceived failure to contribute to Britain’s European integration.

“The only thing he cared about during his premiership was the City and that mentality has led to the current global crisis,” said Michael Gahler, an MEP from Merkel’s Christian Democrat party. “He is good at making speeches but he does not deliver.”

However, the Germans consider the post of the president to be far less significant than that of the foreign minister, who will also be vice-president of the commission and, in effect, be able to shape a common foreign and security policy and have leverage over commissioners addressing other areas.

Although her party’s favourite is said to be Juncker, Merkel, like Sarkozy, will be concerned with keeping at least a relatively pro-EU British politician in the spotlight. >>> Bojan Pancevski in Brussels | Sunday, October 04, 2009

Tories Warn of British Backlash to Blair ‘Presidency’
TIMES ONLINE: William Hague warns European leaders today to expect a backlash if they make Tony Blair the first president of Europe.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary told The Times: “There could be no worse way to sell the EU to the people of Britain.”

He dangled the prospect of a referendum in Britain to take back powers from Brussels, even if a “yes” vote in the Irish Republic leads to the rapid ratification of the Lisbon treaty. He also indicated that the Tories would use a Blair presidency to mobilise opposition in such a vote on Britain’s relationship with Europe.

Mr Hague was speaking as Conservatives gathered in Manchester for their party conference, and before the result of Ireland’s vote on the Lisbon treaty is declared today. Hours before polls closed at 10pm last night turnout was reported to be higher than last year, when Ireland voted “no”. The Government hopes that a good turnout will favour the “yes” side. >>> Rachel Sylvester, Alice Thomson and Francis Elliott | Saturday, October 03, 2009

Sign ePetition: Stop Blair ! : Petition against the nomination of Tony Blair as "President of the European Union" >>>

MAIL ONLINE: 'President Blair' awaits Irish 'yes' vote and a new life of EU luxury (including expenses MPs would die for and a salary as big as Obama's) >>> Ian Drury | Friday, October 02, 2009

Tony Blair: President of Europe?
Are we really going to be subjected to this? Having that man as the Prime Minister for twelve years – the banning prime minister – was bad enough, but the thought of his being Pres for a few years at the top of European politics is really too much to bear. At the risk of sounding unpatriotic, reach for the ‘sick bag’ for me, please. – ©Mark

Petition: Stop Blair! >>>

A Right British Stitch-up!
MAIL Online: Tony Blair is Labour's choice to become President of Europe, a minister let slip last night.

The Europe minister Glenys Kinnock has revealed that Gordon Brown has formally chosen to endorse his predecessor for the lucrative new post.

In a press conference at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, she said: 'The UK Government is supporting Tony Blair's candidature for President of the Council.'
The move has dismayed the Tories, who have accused Labour of a 'stitch-up'.

And Lady Kinnock's admission provoked consternation in Downing Street, which mow must face questions over the role played by Lord Mandelson in the decision. What a stitch-up! Government backs Blair as President of Europe - but did Lord Mandy twist PM's arm? >>> Tim Shipman | Thursday, July 16, 2009

Tony Blair Faces Disappointment in Bid to Become European Union's President
THE TELEGRAPH: Tony Blair faces disappointment in his bid to become the European Union's powerful new president after losing support among continental leaders.

The former prime minister's key backer, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, is said to have "changed his mind" about Mr Blair's suitability for the post.

Without Mr Sarkozy's support, Mr Blair's candidacy – which is unofficially backed by Gordon Brown and the British government – is effectively doomed.

Sources in Brussels now say the favourite for the job is Felipe Gonzales, Spain's charismatic socialist former prime minister, whose government collapsed in a sleaze scandal in 1996.

Europe's leaders are just beginning the complex horse-trading that will end in the appointment of an EU president and "high representative" – effectively the union's foreign minister – once the Lisbon Treaty has been finally fully ratified.

That could come in October when Ireland stages its second referendum on the treaty following a "No" vote last year.

Pundits expect a "Yes" vote this time round which would allow the treaty to pass into law in the EU's 27 member states.

Mr Blair, currently a Middle East peace envoy, remains the choice of 10 Downing Street and the Foreign Office.

A Foreign Office source told The Sunday Telegraph: "The new job is perfectly suited to a big personality like Tony Blair."

However, Mr Sarkozy, who enthusiastically promoted the former prime minister's bid, is thought to have altered his stance – partly because of Mr Blair's perceived "failure" to achieve any change in the Middle East.

He has now switched support to Mr Gonzales, 67, who has claimed that Europe has been "adrift for 20 years" and has become a mere follower of the United States.

Mr Gonzales also heads an EU "wise men's" group appointed by Mr Sarkozy – the perfect platform from which to launch a presidential bid.
Mr Gonzales's spokesman, Joaquin Tajar. said: "Sarkozy is in favour of Gonzales's candidacy once the Lisbon Treaty has passed."

Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, and another key figure whose support Mr Blair would need, is now said by senior figures in Brussels "never to have been that keen on Tony getting the job in the first place." >>> Patrick Hennessy, Polticial Editor | Saturday, July 11, 2009

Setback for Tony Blair's Ambition to Be President of Europe
THE GUARDIAN: Former prime minister, who is believed to be considering bidding for the post, faces stiffening opposition from Sweden and Spain

Tony Blair's ambition to become Europe's first president have been set back by stiffening opposition from Sweden and Spain, the two countries chairing the EU for the next year.

Senior officials in Stockholm, which assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the EU today, said they feared a President Blair would be a divisive figure, triggering friction between small and large European countries, and added that José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the Spanish prime minister, was even more strongly opposed to Blair securing the post and usurping Madrid's running of the union next year.

The decision to appoint a new sitting European president, for a maximum of five years, is to be taken before the end of the year if Ireland votes yes in October in a referendum on the Lisbon treaty streamlining the way the EU is run and also creating the new post.

Fredrik Reinfeldt, the Swedish prime minister, made clear his aversion to Blair securing the plum post, without mentioning the former prime minister by name.

"The small countries don't want a strong leader because they fear he will be run by the big [EU] countries," said Reinfeldt.

European governments had to decide whether the post ought to be turned into "a strong leader for Europe" or whether the president's role should be limited to chairing EU summits and "not putting the [European] commission president in the shadow," said the Swedish prime minister. >>> Ian Traynor in Stockholm | Wednesday, July 01, 2009

World Agenda: EU Prepares to Welcome President Tony Blair
Mr Blair has become the top candidate while diplomatically showing little interest in the post. Photo courtesy of TimesOnline
TIMES ONLINE: One by one, the field of names to become the first president of the EU is slowly clearing, leaving a certain Middle East envoy as favourite for the job.

Should the Irish vote “yes” to the Lisbon treaty at the second time of asking, thus creating the new presidential role, Tony Blair is well placed to benefit. He still enjoys powerful support among the 27 EU leaders and is said by those around him to be interested in a return to European politics as their convener and global representative.

There would appear to be two obstacles: the Irish and Angela Merkel.

Mr Blair has become the top candidate while diplomatically showing little interest in the post. Behind the scenes, however, he has kept in touch with his main sponsors around the EU table: Nicolas Sarkozy, Silvio Berlusconi, Gordon Brown and the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, with whom he dines regularly. >>> David Charter, Brussels | Friday, May 22, 2009

Sarkozy ‘Non’ to Blair Presidency
Photo of Tony Blair courtesy of BBC
BBC: Nicolas Sarkozy has withdrawn his backing of Tony Blair to become the first president of the European Union, senior sources have told the BBC.

The French president is understood to have changed his mind after meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

It is thought he feels EU opposition to the former UK prime minister is too strong because he backed the Iraq war.

The president will be chosen by leaders of EU member states. The post was created under the new EU reform treaty,[sic]

The sources close to the president also indicated that Mr Sarkozy felt Mr Blair was not right for the role because Britain has failed to adopt the European single currency and the Schengen zone of passport-free travel.

Instead, the sources say the top job could go to the current president of the commission, Jose Manuel Baroso, or the prime minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker. Sarkozy 'Non' to Blair Presidency >>> | May 6, 2008

THE INDEPENDENT:
Hope Fades Over EU Role for Blair >>> By John Lichfield in Paris | May 7, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)

”Blair Force One”? Palace? Flunkies? Lotsa Euros? All Are ‘On the Cards’ for the President of Europe
THE TELEGRAPH: The proposed full-time president of the European Union is to be given a personal jet, a palatial official residence and a personal staff of up to 22, under plans being considered in Brussels.

The prospect of a private aircraft raises the possibility that Tony Blair, the current frontrunner for the new post, which comes into effect next year, could get the "Blair Force One" he was denied as prime minister.

The terms of the new president were discussed at a secret "working dinner" held on Tuesday between José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president, and EU ambassadors.

One attraction of the job will be its clout in terms of the "cabinet" of advisers the new president will be able to assemble. Current proposals suggest an EU presidential team of between 16 and 22 people. Such a number would be an important measure of the power of the position. In comparison, Mr Barroso presides over a cabinet of 13 people.

Other EU member states, including federalist countries keen to give the post an aura of gravitas - and even statehood - have urged that the new president be granted an official "White House" style residence worthy of his status.

Because the new "President of the Council" will have a globetrotting role, some diplomats have argued that he, or she, should have the use of a personal aircraft, leading to inevitable comparisons with the American presidential jet, Air Force One. 'Palace, Jet and Personal Staff of 22' for the New EU President >>> By Bruno Waterfield in Brussels | April 11, 2008

TELEGRAPH LEADER:
The EU's Grand Designs for New President | April 11, 2008

Hat tip: Brussels Journal

PETITION:
Stop Blair!

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)

Stop Blair: Ambition to Lead Europe Meets Fierce Opposition
Photo coutesy of The Times
THE GUARDIAN: Tony Blair's hopes of becoming Europe's first president are running into mounting opposition across the EU, with Germany determined to stymie the former prime minister.

A "Stop Blair" website run by pro-Europeans has launched a petition against him; a transnational, cross-party caucus in the European parliament is forming to campaign against a Blair presidency; senior officials in Brussels are privately dismissive about the new post going to a Briton; and senior diplomats in European capitals also doubt that Blair is the right person for the post being created under Europe's new reform treaty.

"There was surprise in Berlin when Blair's name came up so soon," said a European ambassador. Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany admires Blair and has "great personal sympathy for Tony", he added.

"But more generally the German political elite would be puzzled by the idea of Tony Blair. His track record on EU matters is not so great. There is unease about a Briton at the top in that job. And then personally with Blair, there's the Iraq thing."

Sources close to Merkel confirmed her opposition. "He made a lot of fine speeches about Europe but, essentially, stood on the sidelines when it came to concrete steps forward," they said. Stop Blair: ambition to lead Europe meets fierce opposition: EU track record and Iraq seen as obstacles to getting new post of president >>> By Ian Traynor and David Gow in Brussels

DAILY MAIL:
Blair faces German-led campaign to block his EU presidential bid By Ben Clerkin

ONLINE PETITION TO STOP BLAIR BECOMING EUROPE'S FIRST PRESIDENT:
Stop Blair!

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

I'll Be President of Europe If You Give Me the Power – Blair
Photo of Sarkozy and Blair courtesy of TimesOnline
For God’s sake, don’t give Tone the power. I’m sure that the people are fed up with this man already. Do we really have to be subjected to another term (or perhaps two?) of this man ruling over us? And in any case, where’s the democracy in all of this? If there really is to be a president of Europe, a position many people would dispute should ever come about, then we, the people, should be given a vote on who should fill that position. After all, Europe is supposed to be a democracy, isn’t it? Europe is not supposed to be a cronyocracy.

THE GUARDIAN: Former PM consults old Downing Street allies on campaign for new EU role

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.

Blair, who is being actively promoted by the French president Nicolas Sarkozy, recognises he would need to abandon his well-paid, private sector jobs if he won. His wife Cherie - often portrayed as seeking ever more wealth and well-paid consultancies for her husband - is understood to be supportive of him accepting the job.

Some Blair allies also say that he now recognises that as envoy in the Middle East he is not going to be allowed to become the key player in furthering Israeli-Palestinian talks this year, and will be reduced to a role of supporting political development in Palestine and boosting its economy.

The president of the European council of ministers is a post created under the Lisbon treaty. The president will be the permanent chair of the council of ministers, Europe's chief decision-making body.

Jonathan Powell, Blair's Downing Street chief of staff, is among the former lieutenants he has met to discuss a bid for the European role. I'll be president of Europe if you give me the power – Blair >>> By Patrick Wintour, political editor

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Can the People Really Take Any More of Tony Blair?
BBC: Ministers have played down speculation Tony Blair could be offered the job of president of the European Council.

The role - dubbed "president of Europe" - will be created under the terms of the new EU reform treaty.

But Europe Minister Jim Murphy said Mr Blair was "already busy as an envoy in the Middle East and he has a fantastically important job to do".

He was speaking after French President Nicolas Sarkazy said Mr Blair would be a "good choice" for the new job.

'No discussion'

Speaking at the conclusion of the EU summit in Lisbon, Mr Sarkozy told reporters: "I saw Tony Blair two nights ago. He is a very remarkable man.

"He is the most European of Britons ... it would be intelligent to think of him."

Mr Sarkozy also praised Luxembourg's prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who supports a more federal Europe in contrast to Mr Blair's support for the primacy of nation states, as a possible candidate.

But he said it would be "premature" for France to take an official position at this stage. Talk of Blair EU role played down (more)

Mark Alexander

Blair, President of Europe? 64% of Germans, 60% of Britons and 53% of French Respondents Say He Would Not be Good for the Job, According to an FT/Harris Poll
FT: Tony Blair, the British prime minister, could end up swapping Downing Street for a job as the first full-time European Union president, under a plan being actively touted by Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president.

Mr Sarkozy is understood to have discussed the idea with other EU leaders ahead of next week’s European summit, Mr Blair’s last major international event as prime minister.

His support for Mr Blair taking on a big European job is a remarkable sign of Anglo-French rapprochement since Mr Sarkozy replaced Jacques Chirac as president last month. Push for Blair as new EU president (more) By George Parker in Brussels, John Thornhill in Paris and James Blitz in London

Mark Alexander