EU president

[Richard Hakluyt]

Miliband 

Is there some weird EU regulation that at least one of the top posts has to be occupied by a reject from the UK?

[Zanza]

No, but the EU establishment really dislikes Cameron and would like to spite him.

Another name for foreign minister I just read is Massimo d'Alema of Italy. Looking up his credentials he seems to be an okay candidate. The other forerunner for president is apparently Juncker (the second guy in this poll). The German government has so far not openly indicated its position on any of the nominees yet.

[MadImmortalMan]

Is that guy the leader of the Rebel Scum(R) ?

[Iormlund]

González would have been an awesome EU president 15 or 20 years ago*. A true statesman, even if not without faults. If only we had someone like him running nowadays. Alas, the only skill current candidates have is licking the right arses.



*I mean actual president, not the travesty in place.

[Liep]

I object to this poll, Anders Fogh Rasmussen should be in it. Just so I could still choose to not vote for him.

[Cerr]

I don't even know the last one. Who is that? 

It's John Bruton. Former Irish PM and current EU ambassador to the US. 
I think he'd be a decent choice.

[The Larch]

I've voted on the guy that looks like Gonzalez with a white hair. Is he him?

Yup.

Another name for foreign minister I just read is Massimo d'Alema of Italy.

[HisMajestyBOB]

I voted for the angry chick. She gives off a good Margaret Thatcher vibe.

[Maximus]

I voted for the angry chick. She gives off a good Margaret Thatcher vibe.

I continued the strategy of voting for the one with the most hair.

[Scipio]

I voted for the angry chick. She gives off a good Margaret Thatcher vibe.

I continued the strategy of voting for the one with the most hair.

I continued my strategy of voting for the one most recently played by Michael Sheen in a biopic.

[Alatriste]

I think González would probably do a good job (or one of the best) and Blair the worst.

I won't name names, except the ones already mentioned, but my bets are

1. Hah, hah and freakin' hah. Blair is labour when the majority of Europe has rightist governments, British, and has even got Tories and LibDems saying they don't support him. And his inaction as 'special envoy' in the Middle East has damaged his reputation. 0 possibilities.

2. Efficient, but grey. Rightist. Favors further integration and comes from an small country. Fairly good possibilities, only his lack of charisma hurts him, because the job is supposed to be first and foremost to provide a 'face' to the European Union.

3. He probably would get few votes in the first round, but could be the perfect compromise candidate. Fairly good possibilities.

4. She has two difficult aspects, that could be considered strong points or weaknesses. First, he has strong views and could find difficult to work in a representative, not executive, position. Second, Moscow certainly would receive her appointment as a virtual declaration of war. Moderately strong possibilities.

5. Mister Greyish G. Grey. The only thing not dull about him is that he once was in coalition with rightist ultras, which is bad. Zero or almost zero possibilities.

6. Felipe González. He could be a very good president, but has two factors working against him. First, there are already two Iberians in top positions, Barroso and Solana. Many countries will probably consider that another one is too much. Second, he's a Socialist, while most European countries have rightist governments at this moment. Weak possibilities.

7. Same as 3, he would probably get few votes in the first round, but could be a good compromise candidate. In addition, I would say the same factors that make difficult for a British to be the first president favor choosing him. Quite good possibilities.   

All considered, I think the president will be 2, 3 or 7, while 4 and 6 are long shots. 1 and 5 are out. If I have to choose only one bet, then the candidate best positioned today is 7, in my humble opinion.

[Eddie Teach]

I continued my strategy of voting for the one most recently played by Michael Sheen in a biopic.

The Queen wasn't a biopic.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Why Blair should not get the job :

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/jeffrandall/6462902/Tony-the-twister-Blair-now-wants-a-free-ride-on-the-Euro-Express.html

[HisMajestyBOB]

4. She has two difficult aspects, that could be considered strong points or weaknesses. First, he has strong views and could find difficult to work in a representative, not executive, position. Second, Moscow certainly would receive her appointment as a virtual declaration of war. Moderately strong possibilities.

I knew she was a good choice.

[Warspite]

I think the whole debate has been flawed from the start. The problem is we don't really know what the position does yet. But too many in the public who talk about the politics of the individual candidate being right or left miss the point.

We know that the position is not about setting a legislative agenda for the Union. It's about managing personal relationships within the Council and being a figure on the world stage.

That said, I think Juncker gets unfair treatment when people say he's the grey bureaucrat candidate. He has proven experience and is a solid candidate even if he won't make headlines across the world.

Blair is labour when the majority of Europe has rightist governments

So what? Blair's Labour manifesto was to the right of most Christian Democrat parties. If anything, he's *too* right-wing. 

Why Blair should not get the job :

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/jeffrandall/6462902/Tony-the-twister-Blair-now-wants-a-free-ride-on-the-Euro-Express.html

You know, it used to be that the Telegraph was - like the Guardian - a paper one could respect for the quality of its journalism regardless of one's own political orientation. But after reading that frothing diatribe masquerading as a editorial, I fear it's really now just the Daily Mail printed on bigger paper.