Sarkozy has thrown a spanner in the works with his withdrawal of support for Blair as the EU president. After meeting with Merkel - since when did those two get along? - he's decided that Britain isn't European enough to be providinbg presidents. The smart money's on that Danish fellow Rassmussen. But they don't know our Bert...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7386891.stm

905 wrote:

Sarkozy has thrown a spanner in the works with his withdrawal of support for Blair as the EU president. After meeting with Merkel - since when did those two get along? - he's decided that Britain isn't European enough to be providinbg presidents. The smart money's on that Danish fellow Rassmussen. But they don't know our Bert...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7386891.stm

If Lisbon is defeated, Bertie will be lucky to get a job washing pots in the Commission cafeteria.

I hope Bertie gets the job. I think we need a pragmatic socialist consensus building peacemaker at the helm in these times of energy insecurity, climate change and global food shortages. Let me know if any of you see him trotting into the Alliance Francais on Kildare Street.

905 wrote:

Sarkozy has thrown a spanner in the works with his withdrawal of support for Blair as the EU president. After meeting with Merkel - since when did those two get along? - he's decided that Britain isn't European enough to be providinbg presidents. The smart money's on that Danish fellow Rassmussen. But they don't know our Bert...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7386891.stm

They don't really. It was just Merkel flexing her political muscles as Europe's most powerful politician. It helps that the political outlook of both is slightly right of centre. I am increasingly of the opinion that Merkel is a very underestimated politician and she will have a huge say in who eventually gets the job.

Slim Buddha wrote:

905 wrote:

Sarkozy has thrown a spanner in the works with his withdrawal of support for Blair as the EU president. After meeting with Merkel - since when did those two get along? - he's decided that Britain isn't European enough to be providinbg presidents. The smart money's on that Danish fellow Rassmussen. But they don't know our Bert...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7386891.stm

They don't really. It was just Merkel flexing her political muscles as Europe's most powerful politician. It helps that the political outlook of both is slightly right of centre. I am increasingly of the opinion that Merkel is a very underestimated politician and she will have a huge say in who eventually gets the job.

Wow, the idea of Merkel as a relevant factor is really original! How powerful is she in Germany though, I was under the impression that she was domestically weak?