An EU President Who Can Stop Traffic in Major World Capitals

[Nagarjuna]

Dear All,
From early 16th century, small European nation states have realized
the need to pad up the shoulders, to impress and engage others, around
the world.
They have realized that they need to have a say in the global project
for forming nation states in the rest of the world.
This important self assigned, typically European task, for European
nation states, inevitably involves having a say in the delineation of
boundaries between countries around the world having any significant
amount of contiguous land mass.
Now that the 21st century has arrived and Lehmann Brothers has caused
apopleptic, unspeakable damage to the certainties of the post World
War II Bretton Woods and Washington Consensus regime. Europe has moved
forward on the task of obliterating internal boundaries between small
European nation states and conversely darkening the boundaries of
Europe with the rest of the world.

Some European countries and their political think tanks have already
tickmarked the need for moving G-7 into history and instead come up
with the abomination of G-20.
With Republic of Ireland and the Irish voting YES to Lisbon Treaty and
Poland and Czechoslovakia also falling in line, the decks have been
cleared for Europe to once again begin taking its early 16th century
responsibilities and WHITE MAN's BURDEN all around the world, in right
earnest.
The financial crisis has been like a sobering hangover to European
countries, their public finances, budgets and their welfare state
status.
So all, now do realize the quintessential necessity and the global
benefits of having an offensive European Union, pulling the strings of
trade, energy, foreign, security policies around the world, for the
benefit of European population and the cherished ideals of liberty,
fraternity and equality,
The search for an EU President has begun in RIGHT EARNEST.
Yes, Brussels, Paris, Geneva DO NOT need school class lessons in
understanding the "Importance of Being Earnest".
Sadly, the rest of the world in Asia, Latin America and Africa DO !!!

So the manipulations for having someone from one small European nation
state as the PRESIDENT of the supra power European Union is not lost
in the corridors of power of small individual European nations.
All retired Prime Ministers and retired Presidents of EU countries are
getting ready to take the SALUTE from the divided nations of the
world.
It seems HISTORY will now once again start becoming EARNEST in the
post Second World War Era, though it will euphemistically be named in
the global English language, as a NEW CENTURY of DECISIVE POLICY
Making and Decision Making for the benefit of the REST of the WORLD.
So, does anyone have an EU President who can STOP the TRAFFIC in rest
of the world and garner salutes at the breathtaking pomp and
ceremony ?
It seems this itself is EXACTLY the BIG IDEA doing the rounds in
European Capitals in the runup to a post Lisbon Treaty world.
Regards,
Nagarjuna

=====
From Guardian : http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/26/tony-blair-european-union-presidency

Gordon Brown has asked two of his most senior civil servants to lobby
discreetly within Europe for Tony Blair to become its new president
amid warnings from allies in government that the former prime minister
will lose his chance unless he launches a dynamic campaign.

John Cunliffe, the prime minister's most senior Europe adviser, and
Kim Darroch, Britain's EU ambassador, are taking soundings at senior
levels. David Miliband, meanwhile, has also intensified Britain's
campaign for Blair to become the first president of the European
council.

The move comes as senior Whitehall sources are warning that the post
will slip away unless Blair becomes involved. "Tony is in considerable
difficulty unless he actively engages," said one senior figure
familiar with the workings of Whitehall and the EU.

"Tony's candidacy is not in the happiest of places. We need our
embassies across the EU campaigning for Tony but they can't do that
without a lead from him."

There are concerns that Blair's timidity will mean that he will lose
out when EU leaders start to hold informal discussion on candidates
for the post at their summit in Brussels this week. Tentative talks
will be held amid signs that the Czech Republic will ratify the Lisbon
treaty, which establishes the new post.

Brown has shown his support for Blair by asking Cunliffe and Darroch
to lobby on his behalf. Cunliffe has been "very supportive", according
to allies of Blair. Darroch, who is familiar to Blair from his time as
his EU adviser, is talking to key figures across the EU. "Kim is
talking to everyone," one ally of the former prime minister said.

Blair, however, is reluctant to campaign openly because he fears
experiencing the same fate as Guy Verhofstadt, the former prime
minister of Belgium, who was humiliated when Blair vetoed him for the
post of president of the European commission in 2004. "Tony will not
put himself into a position where he is humiliated like Guy
Verhofstadt," one friend said.

There is irritation that the former prime minister is not repaying
Brown's favour by indicating his interest in the post, which would see
him chair European summits and represent the EU on the world stage.

It is expected EU leaders may appoint the new president at an
emergency summit next month if Vaclav Klaus, the president of the
Czech Republic, ratifies the Lisbon treaty in the next few weeks.

"There is a real problem as nobody is credibly arguing Tony's case in
public with force," a Whitehall source said. Jonathan Powell, Blair's
former chief of staff, has been taking soundings across the EU. But
the Whitehall source said: "Jonathan ain't enough."

Miliband, who said at the weekend that the EU needed a president who
would stop the traffic in world capitals, stepped up his campaigning
for Blair at the traditional pre-summit meeting of EU foreign
ministers tonight . "Unless Europe gets its act together, policy-
makers in Washington, Delhi, Rio de Janeiro, Moscow and Beijing and
elsewhere are going to conclude that Europe is not ready to be the
partner they want," the foreign secretary said.

Miliband defended Blair's decision to remain silent. "I think he, like
me, is waiting to see what kind of person Europe wants, because the
choice is not primarily his, the choice is for Europe," he told Radio
4's The World at One. "Does it want someone who is just going to tick
off the items on the agenda? Or does it want someone who is going to
be a persuasive advocate, a coalition-builder, a strategic leader of
Europe's relationships around the world?"

But senior ministers familiar with the workings of the EU are growing
exasperated with Blair. "There is a feeling we are now reaching a
crucial stage," a Whitehall source said. "Tony needs to launch a
dynamic campaign to secure this position."