Waters Warming in the English Channel

The waters in the English channel are apparently warming with the new French president Nicolas Sarkozy pushing Tony Blair as the first permanent European Union president.

According to the Financial Times, the Europeans are currently in negotiations on a "new treaty, which aims to establish an EU president and foreign minister in 2009. The new role of president of the European Council – representing the bloc’s 27 member states – would be a permanent replacement for the six-monthly rotating presidency of the EU." While the position holds "few formal powers" it would give Blair the bully pulpit to mark out the EU's "strategic leadership and represent the bloc on the world stage on issues such as climate change, bilateral relations and development in conjunction with the new foreign minister."

Sarkozy says of Blair, "Why not? He is qualified for it. We want a politically strong Europe. We want a president who is credible.”

And credible he is, despite the whinings of the European electorate who in recent polls are decidedly against Blair taking on this new role. Nevertheless, this may not make much of a difference, as the EU's elites have considerably more power than its elected representatives, and Blair's nomination to this position by none other than the French president is a sign that the bureaucrats in Brussels approve.

On another note, it is refreshing to have a mature adult sitting in the top post in France. Sarkozy obviously takes the Atlantic Alliance seriously, and his nation no doubt will be the stronger for it in coming years.