Merkel and Sarkozy unite to end Blair’s European dream

Nigel Morris and Vanessa Mock
London Independent
Saturday, Oct 31st, 2009

Former prime minister’s bid for EU presidency founders as continent’s most powerful leaders announce they would prefer candidate from smaller country.

Tony Blair’s hopes of becoming the first President of Europe have been dealt a potentially lethal blow by France and Germany. The European Union’s two most powerful nations appeared to slam the door on a bid by the former prime minister to become President of the European Council.

At the end of a two-day EU summit in Brussels, Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, suggested they had a different candidate in mind for the prestigious post about to be created by the Lisbon Treaty.

“The names that first come out of the hat are not necessarily those that are finally chosen,” he told journalists. “With Chancellor Merkel, we completely agree that we are going to have the same approach, the same vision and support the same candidate when the time comes. I think it’s very important that France and Germany, on a choice that is as important as this one, show their determination to walk hand-in-hand down this road.”

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