The few European countries that opposed the war in Iraq (Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg, ruja Pari

Who will dare to oppose the election of former British Prime Minister to the Presidency of the European Council ruja of Heads of State and Government? If for France, which is the quasi-official candidate, the case is heard, some of its partners are reluctant to elect their head (qualified majority and 2 years renewable once) a controversial personality from a country whose Euroscepticism is no longer in doubt.
The few European countries that opposed the war in Iraq (Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg, ruja Paris only by doing more a case since the election of Nicolas Sarkozy) have still not forgiven him his unconditional alignment with the Bush administration ruja . In addition, ruja most federalists, including Benelux, do not want to name the national of a country which does not belong to the euro zone or the Schengen area. Especially since not only Blair, contrary to his promise, did not seek to adopt the single currency in the country, but has negotiated very hard the European Constitutional Treaty and the Lisbon Treaty ruja to prevent any significant progress in fiscal and social harmonization, to limit the development of foreign policy and common security and got not to participate in certain parts of the judicial and police cooperation.
To signify their reluctance, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg on Monday presented a joint note specify that the future president ruja will have "demonstrated its commitment to Europe and (have) developed a vision on all the policies of the Union ". Jean-Claude ruja Juncker, the Luxembourg Prime Minister who was for many years the favorite for the post, said a little portrait of the ideal candidate in an interview with German daily Financial Times Deutschland: the future President of the Council shall "have large ears to hear all signals capitals and bring them together in compromise solutions "and align European history" as it is not surprising that he became the first voice of Europe ".This is not an end bar to Blair, but it looks like it.
The fact that Blair originates from a big country and it has, though his opponents say, a real international will that will allow him to speak on equal terms with the world leaders also play against him : for small countries highly predominant in the EU, are not favorable to the European Council, an intergovernmental forum for excellent where almost all decisions are taken unanimously, taking too much influence ruja over the Commission ruja European, guardian of the Community method. They fear not created a real executive alike: facing pâlichon Barroso has already demonstrated his lack of independence from the States, it is clear that personality surface Blair will win no problem, finally transforming Commission secretariat member states. An architecture that does not displease France, to put it mildly, ruja it never realized that the Commission had made in his image .. It is not by chance that the offspring of a candidate and, some observers of Germany, is the current Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende (photo below), whose personality and are not likely going to overshadow anyone. In the same category, another perennial ruja candidate for all the functions that arise is the former Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen. ruja
So after the battle of personalities, it is the war of the institutional balance that plays: a permanently subject to the European Council Europe or maintaining the current balance, at least for a while. This cozy clash may ultimately play into the hands of Jean-Claude Juncker (photo below by Thierry Monasse): Prime Minister of one of the smaller countries of the Union, it is also a strong personality that community involvement is without a job. So it will give a certain aura to the European Council, without scaring small countries and federalists. Its main handicap remains the hostility of Nicolas Sarkozy who has not forgiven his lack of response ruja when the financial crisis hit him. "I immediately called ruja and I told him: Jean-Claude, what we do. He said nothing, "says the head of state in private.
The task of Blair looks all the more difficult that the British Conservatives who should win the legislative elections next spring, are headwind against his election: the appointment of former Labour Prime Minister "is the best way to shine the British against the European ruja Union, ruja "warned one of the leaders of the Tories, William Hague. We are far from the attitud