Nicolas Sarkozy deals blow to Tony Blair's EU presidency hopes

[pampango]

Source: Telegraph UK

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, has dealt a heavy blow to Tony Blair’s hopes of becoming European Union president by withdrawing his support for the former premier’s candidacy.

The French move, at an EU summit in Brussels, confirmed David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, as the British politician with the best chance of getting one of the new European jobs that will be created with the passing of the Lisbon Treaty later this month.

Mr Miliband’s prospects were further strengthened when David Cameron signalled that the Conservatives would not object to him going to Brussels in the same way they have tried to thwart Mr Blair. Mr Sarkozy also said that France and Germany will now push a joint candidate for the presidency, working “hand in hand” to install their choice of president. Neither Mr Sarkozy nor Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, said who they are now backing for the presidency, but German officials have indicated that Mrs Merkel wants the president to come from one of the EU’s smaller states.

Mr Blair’s campaign has been undermined by an agreement between right and left-wing European leaders that the president should be from a right-wing party and the foreign policy chief should be a left-winger.



Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/646...

[otohara]

1. Anyone Who Believed Bush/Cheney

are automatically disqualified IMO

[no_hypocrisy]

2. D'accord, biens.

Good move, President Sarkozy.

[fascisthunter]

3. the fact this man is even considered for such a role

should clue people into how far reaching of a conspiracy the Iraq invasion was.

[LeftishBrit]

4. Good. Even Sarkozy has more sense than to back Tony.

A Blair presidency would likely sink both the EU, and Britain's reputation in Europe (such as it is!)

[Ghost Dog]

7. I do not agree that

a). Mr. Milliband is in any way qualified to fill the rather more powerful EU foreign policy post (recent statements vis-a-vis Palestine notwithstanding); nor that

b). the UK under this current, nor under the predictable next, government is, in general, a loyal member of the EU.

Rather than sink the EU, it would be preferable to consider the UK as the leading candidate to become the first member state to be expelled from the Union.

[LeftishBrit]

9. I'm no Miliband fan - but he's better than Blair

While I seriously disapprove of some of the things that British politicians are doing re the EU (especially the Tories ganging up with dodgy Eastern Europaean right-wingers in the Euro-Parliament), I don't agree with the concept of our being the first state to be expelled! There are other states, e.g. Poland, that have sent a worse and more anti_EU delegation. Also, if they start expelling countries, that rather undermines the whole point of having the EU at all.

[xchrom]

5. as it should be. nt

[swilton]

6. Any War Criminal Should Not Become the EU President-

Blair has blood on his hands - Merci Monsieur Sarkozy!

[jenniferj]

8. The unpopularity of Blair across Europe will ensure

he will not be President...

[DebbieCDC]

10. Good -- let the poodle go without a job

It's not like he's hurting for $$ -- didn't shrub get daddy to give the poodle a job at Carlyle Group?

[tabasco]

11. How does shit bag Blair even merit consideration for the job?

European corporatists, I suppose.

[Odin2005]

12. It's either him or some boring Brussels bureaucrat, according to what I've heard.

The "reasoning" is that Blair has political "star power", which would be much better for the new office than some EU functionary to get it off the ground.

[Joe Chi Minh]

13. How pathetic is that? What is it some kind of beauty contest? Britain's Got Talent?

Isn't that what beauty contestants are supposed to say, "I want to bring peace to the world" and/or work for a charity in a third-world country? Apparently, Blair has been commissioned to do both in Palestine.

A faceless bureaucrat is exactly what we want. Surely, the continental Europeans would only consider one from their own patch, i.e. with a record of genuine, national achievement. The last thing Europe needs is a corrupt British, NuLab politico. They've seen what a mess they've made of the UK economy, nay, the world's economy, together with their dominatrix, the US. I'm glad you enclosed the word, "reasoning", with inverted commas.

[LeftishBrit]

14. A boring Brussels bureaucrat would be rather safer

I'm reminded of the old Chinese curse, 'May you live in interesting times'.

In any case, Blair's 'star power' has passed its sell-by date with most people by now.

[johnfranklin]

15. Van Rompuy, EU prez?

Whoops, looks like Sarkozy just took back the paddle and now TB's hopes for presidency is floating away. I suppose he'll be supporting the Brussel fav. to take it. According to sources, Van Rompuy was looking pretty good anyway: http://bit.ly/2Z4bpj

[David Zephyr]

16. Good.

.