As reported this morning in the Telegraph, the bad news for Tony Blair’s campaign to gain the EU presidency — once such an office exists, that is — is a tidy little essay on why the EU looks to the rest of the world like an aging, heavy, bearded man in a dress:
The former prime minister’s key backer, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, is said to have “changed his mind” about Mr Blair’s suitability for the post.
Without Mr Sarkozy’s support, Mr Blair’s candidacy – which is unofficially backed by Gordon Brown and the British government – is effectively doomed.
Sources in Brussels now say the favourite for the job is Felipe Gonzales, Spain’s charismatic socialist former prime minister, whose government collapsed in a sleaze scandal in 1996.
Yes, now that’s the Europe we know and love, but there’s something just off about this, non?