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Blow to Blair's hopes of EU job Blow to Blair's hope of EU post
(about 6 hours later)
Tony Blair's hopes of becoming president of the European Council are fading after his supporters failed to secure the backing of EU leaders.Tony Blair's hopes of becoming president of the European Council are fading after his supporters failed to secure the backing of EU leaders.
Earlier Gordon Brown said Mr Blair would be an "excellent candidate" but Downing Street is now less optimistic. Gordon Brown said Mr Blair would make an "excellent president" but there were "many candidates who may come forward".
The BBC has learned No 10 has signalled that a defeat for Mr Blair's candidacy is now "a clear possibility". Meanwhile ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, which creates the post, moved closer after EU leaders struck a deal with the Czech president.
Ratification of the Lisbon treaty moved closer after EU leaders in Brussels struck a deal with the Czech president. Mr Brown said they had cleared the way for the treaty to be ratified.
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country holds the EU presidency, said: "The road to ratification now stands open." No 10 has signalled that a defeat for Mr Blair's candidacy is now "a clear possibility".
The BBC's Jonny Dymond in Brussels said Mr Blair's chances of becoming the first president of the European Council - a post created by the treaty - seemed "slimmer today than before". 'Excellent president'
Our correspondent said a lack of support from European socialist leaders has served to undermine Mr Blair's chances. The former British PM has not declared himself a candidate but British ministers, including Mr Brown who is at a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels, have been talking him up for days.
Earlier Mr Brown had told the leaders at a fringe meeting at the EU summit that they should "get real" and grasp a unique opportunity to get a "strong progressive politician" like Mr Blair as president. Speaking at the end of the summit, Mr Brown said: "I think I am right to say that Britain has someone in Tony Blair who would make an excellent president of the Council of the European Union.
"I think there are many people who are members of the council who accept that and believe that to be true."
Gordon Brown: "I believe his credentials are well proven"Gordon Brown: "I believe his credentials are well proven"
But he added: "I recognise also that there are many candidates who may come forward, some have already indicated their intention to do so, but I do believe that Tony Blair will remain an excellent candidate."
At the summit EU leaders agreed to grant the Czech Republic, the only EU state not to have signed up to the treaty, an opt-out from the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Mr Brown said he believed that the meeting had "cleared the way" for the Czech Republic to ratify the Lisbon Treaty - should the country's constitutional court rule in its favour next week.
Once that happened European member states would discuss the position of the presidency and the commissioners, he said.
'Slim' chance
If it is ratified it will also increase pressure on the Conservatives - who oppose the treaty and say there should have been a referendum on it - to spell out what they will do if they win power and it has come into force.
Conservative leader David Cameron told the BBC: "If that comes to pass we'll set out straight away what our approach to that important issue will be."
The BBC's Jonny Dymond in Brussels said Mr Blair's chances of becoming the first president of the European Council - a post created by the treaty - seemed "slimmer today than before".
POSSIBLE PRESIDENTS? Tony Blair - former British prime ministerJean-Claude Juncker - Luxembourg's prime ministerJan Peter Balkenende - Dutch prime ministerVaira Vike-Freiberga - former president of LatviaWolfgang Schuessel - former chancellor of AustriaFelipe Gonzalez - former Spanish prime ministerJohn Bruton - former Irish prime minister Names in the frame Gavin Hewitt on Blair's prospects Send us your comments
A lack of support from European socialist leaders has served to undermine Mr Blair's chances.
However the leaders failed to back any prospective candidate and have now set up a three-man team to decide on their position.However the leaders failed to back any prospective candidate and have now set up a three-man team to decide on their position.
Austrian Chancellor Werner Fayman, who will be one of the three on the panel, expressed doubts about Mr Blair's prospects.Austrian Chancellor Werner Fayman, who will be one of the three on the panel, expressed doubts about Mr Blair's prospects.
Mr Fayman said: "My personal opinion is that the candidate ... should have an especially good relationship with (President Barack) Obama and not stand for a good working relationship with Bush."Mr Fayman said: "My personal opinion is that the candidate ... should have an especially good relationship with (President Barack) Obama and not stand for a good working relationship with Bush."
Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero also failed to endorse Mr Blair. Mr Zapatero said: "We have all heard names. But the work to achieve a larger consensus, that is going to take some time."Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero also failed to endorse Mr Blair. Mr Zapatero said: "We have all heard names. But the work to achieve a larger consensus, that is going to take some time."
Mr Zapatero also raised the prospect that the socialists might instead decide to seek the post of high representative for foreign affairs.Mr Zapatero also raised the prospect that the socialists might instead decide to seek the post of high representative for foreign affairs.
This would leave the presidency open to a centre-right candidate, thereby ruling Mr Blair out.This would leave the presidency open to a centre-right candidate, thereby ruling Mr Blair out.
POSSIBLE PRESIDENTS? Tony Blair - former British prime ministerJean-Claude Juncker - Luxembourg's prime ministerJan Peter Balkenende - Dutch prime ministerVaira Vike-Freiberga - former president of LatviaWolfgang Schuessel - former chancellor of AustriaFelipe Gonzalez - former Spanish prime ministerJohn Bruton - former Irish prime minister Names in the frame Gavin Hewitt on Blair's prospects Send us your comments
The prospect of a Blair presidency has also proved controversial in the UK.
Both the Tories and Liberal Democrats have said they would oppose it.
And a YouGov poll in Friday's Daily Telegraph suggested that less than a third of British voters would support Mr Blair's candidacy.
A spokesman for Mr Blair said since the job does not yet exist, "there is no campaign and Mr Blair is fully focused on his existing projects".
The role of the president of the European Council is still not defined, but it will involve chairing EU summits and representing the EU on the world stage.
Mr Reinfeldt said there was no point discussing names until all 27 EU nations had ratified the Lisbon Treaty.
That moment moved closer when EU leaders agreed to grant the Czech Republic an opt-out from the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights.
The Czech Republic is the only EU member state not to have ratified the treaty, which aims to streamline decision-making and bolster the EU's role on the world stage.
Czech President Vaclav Klaus demanded the opt out from the rights charter, which is attached to the treaty, to protect the country from property claims by ethnic Germans expelled after World War Two.
In the UK, ratification by all 27 member states would increase the pressure on the Conservative Party to set out its position on the treaty.
The Tories have promised a referendum on the treaty if they win the general election but have not yet said what they would do if it has already been ratified by all member states and entered into force.