Carsten Volkery: Will Blair Become Europe's First President?
[Carsten Volkery is a writer for the German publication, Der Spiegel]
After Ireland's Yes vote on the Lisbon Treaty, many Britons see their former Prime Minister Tony Blair as a shoe-in to become the first president of the EU. But his appointment is far from certain. There are deep misgivings across the EU about handing the top job to the old friend of George W. Bush.
"A spectre is haunting Europe," wrote London Mayor Boris Johnson in his column in the Daily Telegraph this week. But the op ed quickly departed from the original text of the"Communist Manifesto.""That spectre has a famously toothy grin" and"an almost diabolical gift of political self-reinvention."
Johnson, of course, is referring to Tony Blair, British prime minister from 1997 to 2007 and the favorite foe of British conservatives. The electorate, Johnson wrote, thought they had"finally gotten rid of the fellow" only to have him return as a"kind of Euro-emperor" aboard a"Blair Force One Jumbo Jet."
For much of the British press, whether they like or hate the idea, it is seen as a foregone conclusion that Tony Blair will become the first European Union president, a position called for by the Lisbon Treaty, which seems likely to clear the remaining ratification hurdles."Tony could be named by the end of October," the tabloid Sun wrote last week, quoting an anonymous government source. The Observer also referred to Blair as the" clear favorite."
The 56-year-old Blair has yet to declare his candidacy for the job. Indeed, he likely won't until he is confident that he will be chosen. Still, the Labour Government under Prime Minister Gordon Brown has thrown its support behind Blair. The former prime minister would be an"excellent choice," said Foreign Secretary David Miliband. In Brussels too, his name has been making the rounds.
Major Obstacles
Still, despite the momentum his unannounced candidacy has already generated, not everyone is pleased and the prospect of a President Blair -- neither on the Continent nor in Britain itself.
For one, Blair is from one of the largest European Union countries, a fact which will not endear him to smaller EU member states. When the position was created, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker told the Financial Times Deutschland, there was"an informal understanding that the first EU president wouldn't come from one of the bigger countries."
Plus, as EU-enthusiasts are happy to point out, Blair comes from one of the most Euro-skeptic countries in the 27-member club. Britain is neither a member of the single-currency euro-zone nor is it part of the Schengen Agreement, which guarantees border-free travel through much of Europe. Furthermore, Blair fought tooth and nail to retain the British Rebate, an EU budget kickback given annually to the UK because the country benefits relatively little from EU agricultural subsidies. Juncker argued that the EU president needs more of a"European profile." It is an argument that has a following in Germany as well.
Finally, Blair discredited himself in the eyes of many Europeans by throwing his support, and troops, behind the American invasion of Iraq. Someone who misled the public about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq should not be allowed to speak for the EU, said one German diplomat, who asked not to be identified.
Following Ireland's approval of the Lisbon Treaty in last Friday's referendum, the rumor mill started spinning faster than ever. The Sun predicts that Blair will hold office for two terms and has already calculated the income of the future president. The paper also reported that Blair's wife Cherie has already been nicknamed"Cherie Antoinette" in Brussels...
Read entire article at Spiegel Online International
After Ireland's Yes vote on the Lisbon Treaty, many Britons see their former Prime Minister Tony Blair as a shoe-in to become the first president of the EU. But his appointment is far from certain. There are deep misgivings across the EU about handing the top job to the old friend of George W. Bush.
"A spectre is haunting Europe," wrote London Mayor Boris Johnson in his column in the Daily Telegraph this week. But the op ed quickly departed from the original text of the"Communist Manifesto.""That spectre has a famously toothy grin" and"an almost diabolical gift of political self-reinvention."
Johnson, of course, is referring to Tony Blair, British prime minister from 1997 to 2007 and the favorite foe of British conservatives. The electorate, Johnson wrote, thought they had"finally gotten rid of the fellow" only to have him return as a"kind of Euro-emperor" aboard a"Blair Force One Jumbo Jet."
For much of the British press, whether they like or hate the idea, it is seen as a foregone conclusion that Tony Blair will become the first European Union president, a position called for by the Lisbon Treaty, which seems likely to clear the remaining ratification hurdles."Tony could be named by the end of October," the tabloid Sun wrote last week, quoting an anonymous government source. The Observer also referred to Blair as the" clear favorite."
The 56-year-old Blair has yet to declare his candidacy for the job. Indeed, he likely won't until he is confident that he will be chosen. Still, the Labour Government under Prime Minister Gordon Brown has thrown its support behind Blair. The former prime minister would be an"excellent choice," said Foreign Secretary David Miliband. In Brussels too, his name has been making the rounds.
Major Obstacles
Still, despite the momentum his unannounced candidacy has already generated, not everyone is pleased and the prospect of a President Blair -- neither on the Continent nor in Britain itself.
For one, Blair is from one of the largest European Union countries, a fact which will not endear him to smaller EU member states. When the position was created, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker told the Financial Times Deutschland, there was"an informal understanding that the first EU president wouldn't come from one of the bigger countries."
Plus, as EU-enthusiasts are happy to point out, Blair comes from one of the most Euro-skeptic countries in the 27-member club. Britain is neither a member of the single-currency euro-zone nor is it part of the Schengen Agreement, which guarantees border-free travel through much of Europe. Furthermore, Blair fought tooth and nail to retain the British Rebate, an EU budget kickback given annually to the UK because the country benefits relatively little from EU agricultural subsidies. Juncker argued that the EU president needs more of a"European profile." It is an argument that has a following in Germany as well.
Finally, Blair discredited himself in the eyes of many Europeans by throwing his support, and troops, behind the American invasion of Iraq. Someone who misled the public about the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq should not be allowed to speak for the EU, said one German diplomat, who asked not to be identified.
Following Ireland's approval of the Lisbon Treaty in last Friday's referendum, the rumor mill started spinning faster than ever. The Sun predicts that Blair will hold office for two terms and has already calculated the income of the future president. The paper also reported that Blair's wife Cherie has already been nicknamed"Cherie Antoinette" in Brussels...