Blair Unlikely to Become First President of Europe

Mr Blair, leader of the British Labour Party between 1994 and 2007, Prime Minister of the U.K. between 1997 and 2007, and currently official Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East, at one point appeared to be a strong favorite to become EU President, a position that is likely to be filled within weeks of the Czech Republic becoming the last EU country to ratify the Lisbon Treaty. Ratification of the treaty by the Czech Republic is still not guaranteed but the Guardian suggests that there are signs it will happen soon. It appears that Mr Blair's hopes of assuming the Presidency have been undermined by the belief amongst the EPP grouping of center-right parties, which provides many of the current governments in Europe, that the president should come from within its ranks. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are said to be two of the leaders who believe that a center-right politician should fill the role, leaving the post of foreign policy high representative to be filled by a member of the center-left/socialist grouping. According to the Earth Times it is deemed unlikely that Mr Blair would want the role of Europe's Foreign Minister. The Guardian notes that Silvio Berlusconi, the center-right Prime Minister of Italy, allegedly still backs Mr Blair for the presidency. Current British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, whose relationship with Mr Blair has often been seen as strained, has backed his former leader for the role of President and before the start of Thursday's EU summit in Brussels Mr Brown apparently had a difference of opinion with Martin Schulz, the German leader of the Socialists in the European parliament, over the left's preference for the foreign policy position. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the center-left Prime Minister of Spain, is another person who has indicated that it is the Foreign Minister role that Europe's left-wing politicians most covet. And the comments made by Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn seem to confirm that in reality many on the left do not consider Tony Blair to be one of their own. Mr Asselborn said:

It is not about the person of Tony Blair. Now in the United States, Obama is the president, it is no more Mr Bush. We have a new treaty, we have to reset Europe and we need to start with some new ideas. There is and will remain a link for the next generation between Iraq, Bush and Tony Blair

The Earth Times states that when elected the first President of Europe will serve two and a half years in office and will have the opportunity to seek reelection on one occasion.