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Britain puts forward Blair for EU president job

Published 16 July 2009
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Britain's Labour government would back former Prime Minister Tony Blair if he were to stand for the job of president of the European Union, his successor's spokesman said on Wednesday (15 July).

The comments came after British media quoted Europe Minister Glenys Kinnock as saying Blair was expected to seek the post. 

The new role is due to be created as part of reforms under the Lisbon Treaty, which has yet to come into force, largely due to public resistance in Ireland. 

The treaty, which aims to give the 27-member bloc stronger leadership, fairer decision-making and more of a say on the world stage, could be ratified later this year. 

"It's the prime minister's view that Tony Blair would be a good candidate for any big international job," Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokesman told reporters. 

"If Tony Blair decides to stand as president of the European Council, once that job has been created, then of course we will support him." 

There has been long-standing speculation that Blair would seek the role. It resurfaced again on Wednesday after comments made by Europe Minister Kinnock in Strasbourg.

"The UK government is supporting Tony Blair's candidature for president of the Council," the BBC quoted her as saying at a briefing. "It is the government's position. I am sure they would not do that without asking him." 

Blair stood down as prime minister in 2007 after ten years in power and has since taken up the role of Middle East envoy, representing the quartet of mediators made up of the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia. 

The relationship between Blair and Brown, the architects of Labour's first decade in government, was infamously rocky for much of the former's time in charge, with both men tussling for influence over the party and the direction of policy. 

Britain's main opposition Conservatives, who are tipped to win an election which must be called by mid-2010, want the European Union to have less power over its member states and oppose the creation of the role of European president. 

"Any holder is likely to centralise power for themselves in Brussels and dominate national foreign policies," said Conservative foreign affairs spokesman William Hague. "In the hands of an operator as ambitious as Tony Blair, that is a near certainty." 

Blair's office denied that he was preparing to stand for the European Council president role, which would be appointed by EU leaders on a renewable two-and-a-half year term. 

"There is no campaign," Blair's spokesman said. "As we have said time and again on this, there is nothing to be a candidate for since the job doesn't actually exist." 

(EurActiv with Reuters.) 

Positions: 

MEP  and Scottish National Party President Ian Hudghton strongly criticised proposals to nominate former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair as the new president of the European Council. 

He said any such nomination would be "a huge mistake". 

"He [Tony Blair] will never be able to escape his reputation as a warmonger nor his role in the illegal invasion of Iraq. That alone should disqualify him from a position like this, which if created needs to be occupied by a unifying figure. Putting forward Tony Blair for this job would be divisive and damaging for the EU institutions," Hudghton said. 

"Let's not forget that this job hasn't been created yet, so it's more than a little presumptuous for Mrs Kinnock to be making these remarks. The SNP is opposed to the Lisbon Treaty and want the Scottish people to get a chance to have their say in a referendum," the Scottish National Party president added.

Greens party leaders criticised the possible candidacy of Blair for EU president, given his support for the US-led war in Iraq.

"The suggestion of Tony Blair to become the EU's first council president is absurd and would represent a backward step for the EU," party leaders in the European parliament stated in a written statement.

"Given that the Iraq war deeply divided the EU, Tony Blair can hardly be considered a compromise candidate. He has also shown little real enthusiasm as the special envoy to the Middle East,” the Greens stated. 

Background: 

The name of Tony Blair has frequently popped up as possible EU president. Last January, while the EU was grappling with both the gas crisis and the Israeli incursion into Gaza, senior diplomats called for a big name like the former UK prime minister to steer Europe through future challenges (EurActiv 12/01/09). 

A year ago, French President Nicolas Sarkozy was Blair's biggest supporter for the job, calling him "one of Europe's greats". He was later reported to have ceased promoting the former UK prime minister in favour of Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker (EurActiv 07/05/08), and more recently, former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe González (23/06/09). 

Moreover, some EU leaders are said to be reluctant to see at the EU's heights the two most outstanding promoters of the war in Iraq – Tony Blair and José Manuel Barroso, who was then prime minister of Portugal. In this capacity, Barroso organised a crucial pro-war meeting in the Azores on 16 March 2003, attended by George W. Bush, Tony Blair and Spain's Jose Maria Aznar. The Iraq invasion began on 20 March, four days after the Azores meeting (EurActiv 16/02/09). 

Some pundits believe it is unwise to discuss possible high appointments before the second Irish Lisbon Treaty referendum has taken place, as Irish voters may react against such a debate, considering it premature. 

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