Ahern and Blair in running as first president of EU

BERTIE AHERN threw his hat into the ring for the job of first European Union President, but he might have to fight off his old friend Tony Blair for the post.

The Taoiseach reminded people yesterday at the summit in Lisbon that he had got the post into the original constitution on which the new Lisbon Treaty is based.

He noted that even with the changes made to the constitution, the job had survived. “An interesting job,” he noted when pushed on whether he was interested in it.

He noted too that the job of President of the Commission will become vacant in November 2009 and the EU President’s job will be created on January 1, 2010.

“I’m glad that with the minimum changes in the treaty that that position is still there. It would be an interesting job. I said they were two very interesting posts. You never know,” he said.

When asked which he would prefer he said: “The one that I got into the constitution”.

But he could have some tough competition from former British Prime Minister, Mr Blair as he was touted for the job by both his successor Gordon Brown and French President Nicholas Sarkozy.

“Tony Blair would be a great candidate for any significant international job,” Mr Brown said after the summit, saying his work in the Middle East was of huge international importance.

Mr Sarkozy also endorsed Mr Blair for the job and added that the EU’s longest -serving prime minister, Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg, would make an excellent candidate.

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen insisted he was not interested in the job but some believe that former Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski is a front-runner, although his political rival President Lech Kaczynski said he would not advise him to run for it.

“The first president of the European Council will probably come from old member states,” he added.