Europe Set to Pick Its First President: EUX.TV Report

The European Union is getting ready for a decision on who will become known as the first president of Europe. At a summit in Brussels, the EU's 27 member states are talking informally about who will take on this top role. Dutch Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende, Luxembourg PM Jean-Claude Juncker and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair are among a handful of prominent names being mentioned in Brussels. The European President must be a former prime minister and will be selected by hand by his (or her) peers from the EU member states.

The Swedish presidency of the EU said it will act "swiftly" once the final obstacle to the EU's new structure will be lifted, when Czech President Vaclav Havel signs the Lisbon Treaty.

From the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/29/tony-blair-eu-presidency-debate

Tony Blair is "an excellent candidate" to become Europe's first president, Gordon Brown said today, ahead of an EU summit that is likely to be the first to broach the divisive subject.

Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, Brown stressed that his predecessor as prime minister had yet to formally declare himself a candidate, and the terms of the president's role had still to be defined by EU leaders.

But he said: "We, the British government, believe that Tony Blair would be an excellent candidate and an excellent person to hold the job of president of the [European] council."

The topic is not formally on the agenda of a meeting that will be dominated by wrangling over climate change funding and how to get the Czech president, Vaclav Klaus, to add the final signature to the reformist Lisbon treaty.

Senior diplomats predicted there would be intense private discussion on the fringes of the summit over the question of who would get the plum job of first sitting president of the European council, the pre-eminent EU forum that brings leaders together for summits at least four times a year.

David Miliband, the foreign secretary, said today that Blair would give Europe a "strong voice" on the global stage. His Conservative shadow, William Hague, said the debate over the presidency proved that the UK should have held a referendum on the Lisbon treaty.

Officially, the job does not exist until Klaus finalises Czech ratification of the treaty, expected within weeks. While Blair personally has kept quiet about his ambitions, the British government is campaigning increasingly assertively on the former prime minister's behalf.

"We will be making the case for a strong, internationally known figure who can open doors in [foreign] capitals," said an official. "There is only one candidate."

That was not a reference to Jean-Claude Juncker, the veteran Luxembourg prime minister and European fixer, who is the only contender so far to have openly declared his candidacy. He emerged this week as the anti-Blair candidate.

Juncker looks certain to fail in his bid for the top job, but he may well succeed in destroying Blair's chances. He is viewed as a stalking horse who will vanish to make way for a third, unknown contender.

While the Blair debate rages on the sidelines of the summit, the big priority for the Swedish government chairing the meeting is to try to break a deadlock on EU funding of climate change programmes in the developing world ahead of the Copenhagen conference in December.

Berlin and Warsaw are the keys to a deal, but the prospects for a breakthrough look dim. Fredrik Reinfeldt, the Swedish prime minister, warned that Europe's credibility on global warming was at stake.

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[RedNymph234]

is this a president of euope as a whole, or just some political union that really doesn't govern, more like a UN thing

[EUXTV]

'some political union' is actually an ambitious cross-border political structure that just falls short of a full federation.

[versusINK]

@LindyLibertarian agreed entirely

[versusINK]

@haszo I certainly hope you don't feel that way towards all Americans ._. that woild be unfortunate, and most definitely unfair. Prejudice is an ugly creature.

[2333321983]

Europe needs to be united as ONE NATION, ONE ARMY. To counter balance the big world powers. Germany needs to be allowed to boost it's military numbers. Europe being pushed around by Russia is despicable, frikkin ruskies need a slap !

[shaddorry]

all hail Van Rompuy!!!

he's going to do a GREAT JOB!!!

[Vleesball]

europe doesnt need to be a superpower ..this president shit is all about fame and talks..

[Arnedsomedude]

its herman!

[boffa994]

Rise of the Revived Roman Empire. The EU President position will one day give rise to the antichrist.

[Brulluhman]

It's not going to be Blair, I think it's going to be or van Rompey, who nobody ever heard of and already wants to tax us to the bone.. or Balkenende. Personally I would say our Geert Wilders would be fit for the job or the British Nigel Farage, he also wants countries to pay for themselves.

If Balkenende is gone, we get new elections. Everybody is waiting for that here in Holland.

[mpearson58]

The EU is purposefully heading for one man, one vote.

Just a matter of deciding which man has that vote.

[ThoughtXdMyMind]

Soon we will all be elliminated as wrote down on the georgia guidestones to maintain population under a quota of 500.000.000.

Now there roam 6 Billion people on earth.

Soon the rest of them is history.

Google pictures > Georgia guide stones

Seeing is believing!