Blair

Tony Blair's candidacy to become the president of the new European Council has launched the debate: Who should be the person? Who, amongst our current leaders, is the most suitable politician to go for it? Today I am not bothered about that one, as the former British Prime Minister once said when leaving office, but about his controversial figure. Firstly, I should admit that I am not impartial and so I will ever be: I cannot hide my fascination for him. I felt the same as millions of British voters over more than ten years. All of us understand what we mean exactly. I was equally captivated by his political charm. For all his political mistakes: too big to deserve forgiveness -the war on Iraq and his consequences-, I should say, for all his proven incapacity to get Britain into the heart of the Continent -and the Euro zone in particular- and fight its traditional euro scepticism, when he was at the right time and at the right position, despite all these reasons, I cannot claim that there is nowadays any other candidate more qualified than him for this job. Europe as a political actor is, probably, living one of its worst hours and only a internationally acknowledged figure as Blair's might take the EU back to the main scene. Blair's seductive power is universal, something that even his foes -which are emerging these days- would admit. As an Scotsman, to say, as a British person, at least in the near future, he will be an European. Despite everything. So take advantage of it.