Tony Blair, president of Europe?
As the European Union moves toward an EU-wide presidency, Blair is an early, controversial, frontrunner.
Should Europe elect Tony Blair as the first European Union President?
(EPA/Corbis/Pasquale Bove)
The European Union is in the market for a new president, assuming the sweeping Lisbon Treaty is ratified, as expected. The role isn’t clearly defined, so the first elected EU head of state will set an important precedent for future presidents. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is an early favorite, though he has not yet publicly declared his candidacy. But is Blair the best-qualified person for the job?
Who else does Europe have? Consider the alternatives, says The Wall Street Journal in an editorial. Blair might not be the perfect candidate, but he’s one of only a few “genuinely global figures” who would “require no introductions.” At least when Blair calls the United States, we’ll “bother to pick up the phone.”
“Haggling Over Who Should be President of the EU”
Blair’s election would be a step backward: Blair might be the best-known of the candidates, says Charles Clarke in Britain’s The Independent, but it’s hard to see how “crowd-stopping” recognition will be helpful if the EU can’t be “coherent and united” in its decision-making—hardly Blair’s strong point. In fact, Blair’s “presence would encourage the rerunning of past battles rather than enabling a new approach."
“Don’t Give Tony Blair the post of EU President”
Blair would bring global moral leadership: If Europe wants to do some good outside its borders, says John Hughes in The Christian Science Monitor, Blair would make its presidency a global “bully pulpit.” He’s never shied away from intervention, even for "a humanitarian crisis or gross oppression,” and despite the unpopularity of his support of the Iraq War, “he has become increasingly reflective and religious since leaving the British premiership.”
“EU Presidency would be a bully pulpit for Blair”
Britain needs to put its money where its mouth is: How can the EU choose Blair as its president when his fellow Brits won’t even drop the pound sterling for the euro? asks Quentin Letts in Forbes.com. Blair is “hardly a committed continentalist,” but even if he were, "should the new Europe not have, as its president, someone who is at least from the Eurozone?”
“Tony Blair: President of Europe?”
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8 Comments
Posted by Larry Parvin, Friday, October 30, 2009, 11:52 am Kind of like the U S should have a president from the U S.
Posted by Amilie, Friday, October 30, 2009, 3:12 pm Amen. Shouldn't our president have been born here??
Posted by Lawrence, Friday, October 30, 2009, 3:14 pm I nominate BHO for president of the EU. He isn't doing anything here, might as well send him over to mess up Europe. He flies there every other week anyway. Bye, BO. Blair is as good as anyone over there. Why not? Didn't Clinton want that job?
Posted by Bewildered, Friday, October 30, 2009, 4:03 pm Who are you people? You baffle me.
Posted by Jason, Friday, October 30, 2009, 9:31 pm Bewildered: Village idiots looking for the next teaparty to belong to.
Posted by eric, Saturday, October 31, 2009, 9:41 am we all know that blair knew the phone number of the bush liars. does this make him 'a genuinly global figure' ? Europe is complex. And I hope this remains so.
Posted by Gut Shot, Saturday, October 31, 2009, 5:47 pm What is wrong with you people? Wanting the president of the US to be president of the EU. BO still has 3 long years to reign. Would you really want him to step down and have Biden fill his shoes? Perhaps the reason BO is still campaigning around the country is for practice for campaigning in Europe. Perhaps he knows something we do not.Europe would probably accept his socialist, marxist rhetoric more freely than the US. Plus, there are lots more commies to fill his cabinet with in europe.
Posted by James Charlet, Monday, November 2, 2009, 1:02 pm My god, I come to the week for the moderate point of view, because they tend to give info from all sides and let us draw our own conclusions, why are you people here? Birthers? really? Shouldn't you be hiding in a shack in Montana looking for the UN black helicopters? And not only that, Obama was born here, but even if he hadn't been, so what? My background is Cherokee and as I far as I am concerned, I would rather have some one whose ancestors didn't participate in the genocide of my fore fathers as president.
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