Support wanes for Blair EU presidency

Tony Blair has the backing of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Britain's former PM faces criticism from his own supposed center-left allies
UK foreign secretary David Miliband could emerge as EU foreign policy chief
EU leaders have paved the way for the Czech Republic to ratify Lisbon treaty

Brussels, Belgium (FT) -- Tony Blair's chances of becoming the European Union's first full-time president were in serious trouble late on Thursday as a Brussels summit opened with a chorus of criticism from his own supposed center-left allies.

British officials said the "jungle drums" also suggested support for the former prime minister was on the wane in some European capitals, including, crucially, Paris and Berlin.

But as Blair's hopes faded, Brussels was awash with speculation that David Miliband, UK foreign secretary, could emerge as the EU's new foreign policy chief.

Miliband, 44, has denied wanting the job, but he is among the most credible center-left candidates; France's Le Monde on Thursday declared him "young and brilliant."

The two-day EU summit was supposed to focus on climate change and the Lisbon treaty, but corridor talk was dominated by the looming carve-up of the union's top jobs.

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown made an impassioned appeal at a private meeting with fellow socialists to back Blair.

"You need to get real -- this is a unique opportunity to get a strong progressive politician to be president of the council," he said. But there was little backing for a man whose support for the Iraq war was divisive.

Other candidates could include Jan Peter Balkenende, Dutch prime minister; Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg's premier; and Paavo Liponnen, former Finnish prime minister.

EU leaders late on Thursday paved the way for the Czech Republic finally to ratify the Lisbon treaty -- which creates the new jobs -- offering Prague an "opt out" to the Union's charter on fundamental rights.