President Tony.......odds on?

[R1Geezer]

Well he seems to be nailed on at the moment and I can't find anything about any alternatives at the moment. Anyway being British I should be delighted that Tony is the front runner, so why do I find myself so anti? I can't really explain it, I just have the instinctive repellance, id' rather have Neil Kinnock FFS! Anyone else have this innexplicable, "allergic reaction" to Blair?

[TTG]

EU puppet.

[McMouse]

If Blair becomes EU Prez he will probably hand over to Brown after a while. Then we will be up Crap Creek!

[R1Geezer]

you mean further up crap creek, surely McMouse!

[LazyGun]

Even Charles Clarke, a premier Blairite, doesn't think "Our Tone" would make a good EU president.

http://www.independen...resident-1810941.html

[jake-the-peg]

Well there's no love lost between Charles Clarke and Tony Blair

But more to the point the Benelux countries have come out against Tony Blair. - they have a say Clarke does not

the fact that the UK is not in the Euro and Iraq weighs heavilly against TB

*BUT THIS IS NOT PRESIDENT OF THE EU*

Not like president of the US or of France it holds very little power - it's really chairing the meetings and getting agendas agreed.

[Gromit]

I am not a fan of Blair, but he would probably be good as EU President. It would be good for the UK if the prez was British.

But it won't happen. He sided with the US instead of Europe everytime it mattered, and he is seen as divisive in the rest of Europe.

[LazyGun]

@jtp - thats funny - i always had the impression that Charley and Tone were best mates, at least politically speaking.

I take your point about the nature of the job though - It is, as you point out,President of the European Council, rather than President of the EU, and is as you say, largely symbolic and non executive role, at least for now.
Personally, I think Blair would be wrong for the job - he carries too much baggage with him, particularly over the Invasion of Iraq and (non-existance of) WMD.

[R1Geezer]

Ok Jake and Gromit, if not Blair then who, I can barely find a sniff of any other candiadates.

[jake-the-peg]

That's because you're just reading the British Press

http://www.lemonde.fr...4.html#ens_id=1259173

I'm sure you can Babel fish it if you're sufficiently interested

[Gromit]

It is a bit early as the job does not yet exist. The notion of a President is part Lisbon Treaty which has not yet been ratified by all the European nations. That will probably happen next year, unless Cameron get in before all the nations have ratified, and lets all you Europhobes vote against the Treaty. Only then, does the post become vacant.

Here is a list of other candidates I found.

http://www.euractiv.c...longer/article-169412

[jake-the-peg]

Actually the Cezch High court is expected to give it's verdict next week, they are the last unratified - Poland ratified the other week.

[Gromit]

Here is a more recent list.

Chris Patten might be good, though he was a bit of a surrender monkey over Hong Kong.

http://en.wikipedia.o...ncil#Other_candidates

[Gromit]

Thanks for thaqt jake-the-peg

So Cameron's bogus promise was just as false as Brown's.

[jake-the-peg]

I think Pattern's unlikely - the one thing Blair has on his side is that he's pretty charismatic.

A lot of people would like Angela Merkel but she doesn't look about ready to give up the German Chancelorship.

I think Blair is favorite but not odds on - Junckers is possible

Still you never can tell maybe they'll all get drunk one night and appoint Bellisconi - you'll know if that happen's 'cause you'll wake up to topless weather girls on every TV station in Europe

[R1Geezer]

Gromit, you get the platinum Geezer badge for crass dipstickery over the Hong Kong comment, it was a kin lease and it expired in 1997, was Patten supposed to "fight them on the beaches" or somthing. Surely you're not suggesting we should have gone to war over Hong Kong!

[R1Geezer]

I'd back Berlesconi! He'd have the meetings in Spearment Rhino!

[Gromit]

R1Geezer

I was only joking, but thanks for rising to the bait.