Blair set to be president of Europe – provided Irish voters back treaty

Published on Friday 2 October 2009 22:04

SPECULATION was growing last night that Tony Blair, the former prime minister, will shortly be installed as the first president of Europe, with an expected Yes vote in the second Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

British government sources have been briefing that Mr Blair will be given the position created by the adoption of the treaty, which was blocked by Ireland in the country's first referendum on the subject.

French president Nicolas Sarkozy is known to support Mr Blair's nomination, while opposition from the recently re-elected German chancellor Angela Merkel has been dropped with the promise of a key position in the EU Commission for a German.

Ms Merkel had previously been unhappy with the top job going to a country outside the eurozone, and there are some within the Commission who resent the fact that Mr Blair failed to use his early popularity to get Britain to adopt the euro.

Last night it was expected that the Irish would reverse their decision to oppose the treaty.

Opinion polls had suggested that there was as high as a two to one ratio in favour of the treaty, which critics believe is no better than the European Constitution that was dropped after it was rejected in referendums in France and the Netherlands.

Opponents of the treaty, including Daniel Hannan, the Tory South East of England MEP who supported the No campaign, were resigned to defeat and put the blame on the economic downturn.

In a recent article Mr Hannan claimed that Irish voters would support the treaty because they had lost confidence in their own political class.

Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen, whose Fianna Fil party is at an all-time low in popular support, was cautiously optimistic of a pro-Lisbon Treaty win as voters took to the polls across the country yesterday.

Turnout in the crucial vote was averaging 21 per cent in Dublin, while rainy weather was blamed for low numbers at the polls in western regions.

In his home county of Offaly, Mr Cowen appealed for voters to get out and make their voices heard, urging the electorate to think of the country's future.

"It's an important day for the country and an important referendum and I hope that people will take the opportunity to go out and cast their vote," the Taoiseach said.

"I'm hopeful that in the context of today … we'll have a good outcome."

For the second time in 18 months some three million Irish are being asked to decide the fate of almost 500 million citizens across the European Union.

During last year's referendum it was expected large numbers taking to the polls would boost the Yes side, but despite more than half the electorate coming out, the No camp won by 53.4 per cent to 46.6 per cent.

Ireland's main political parties shelved their rivalries to campaign for a Yes vote. Sinn Fein alone opposed the treaty.