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It really couldn’t be more silly, the latest bit of rumour being reported in the Media is that David Milliband could be in the running for the job of the EU “High Representative” or EU Foreign Secretry on the basis that Blair does not become the EU President.

I found Blair being appointed the “Middle East Peace Envoy” totallly banal, that Blair should become the EU President is bad enough plus in my opinion, unlikely anyway but David Miliband being touted as the “Most High Representative” really takes the biscuit !

Comments

Reading some of the comments in the Independent was quite funny from both pro and anti EU supporters but one from I suspect a non-Brit made the point that as the UK is fairly strongly anti-EU, there was no reason that the UK should expect anyone from these islands to be proposed for these jobs, I agree with him. He headed his comments “Semi-detached Britain” which was amusing, my reply as below.

Semi-detached Britain

Totally agree and if we had been given our promised Referendum, fully detached might well be the case. There is only one good thing about the European Constitution aka Lisbon Treaty, it includes an exit route.

It would be better if we had a General Election right now and before final ratification so that a Cameron Government would have to keep their word and run a Referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

However and on the other hand, perhaps this way is better because the Lisbon Treaty is an EU “internal matter” and if rejected would add up to further discussions with the UK still trapped inside the EU. Once passed Lisbon cannot be unpicked, consequently the only Referendum that can be called in the UK will be IN or OUT.

I do not want to see any UK citizen put up for these top EU jobs, it would be inappropriate.

My Direct View

To be honest, if this was a serious proposal, all it would do is illustrate just how irrelevant the EU is, you can tell the quality of the job by the candidates mooted for it. As some who have already commented, I agree, just why the heck should any “Brit” be considered for a “High Profile” EU job, the Good Lord willing, we will leave the EU sooner than later and it is therefore inappropriate.

The question of Blair as the “President” is an interesting one in the sense that if the EU chose a high profile candidate such as him, the ashes of a Federal EU would still be smouldering because Blair is “known” for good or ill, internationally so therefore, the EU as an entity would be too.

A lower level candidate in terms of global fame but one who is seen as a “Good European” in Brussels from a country with a positive view of the EU would show more reality. The EU lacks much in the way of core unity on most subjects, all decisions are based upon horse trading behind closed doors and for President read “negotiator” between the 27 individual countries. This is detailed work and Blair never could do that whilst Prime Minister of the UK, in terms of the job that needs to be done, he would be useless.

As for the “Banana Kid”, I really think not. Whilst I love Europe and thoroughly detest the EU, I would not in my most evil moment wish him on Brussels, I’m sure they can find some suitable technocrat that would do the required job, the EU will never cut a dash on the world stage, it therefore hardly needs to have high profile candidates for either job, competence and being deeply steeped in the way the EU machine actually works is likely far more important than having strong personal views or “presence”.