Dreaming of one President for Europe

IN THE underbrush of the European jungle, away from the crashing feet of the biggest European Union leaders, the clever, nimble creatures who have made the EU project their life's work are up to something.

Your correspondent was at a gathering in Brussels when the subject came up (as it does around here) of the scramble about to begin for the next round of big EU jobs. A complicated question was asked, about whether the pro-integration camp would need to rewarded with a job like European Commission president, if the more sceptical Tony Blair were chosen as the first president of the European Council (a new post, which will see current heads of government elect an ex-prime minister or some such big cheese to chair EU leaders' summits for a two and a half year term, renewable once).

An old Brussels hand raised an eyebrow. And what, he asked, makes you think that the next president of the European Commission, and the first president of the European Council cannot be one and the same person?

Um, because nobody has suggested merging the two jobs, someone suggested.

Well, there's nothing in the new treaty that stops the same person holding both jobs, came the old hand's retort.

Is that what some people are dreaming of, he was asked.

Absolutely, replied the old hand, a man of very good contacts.

Is this a serious possibility? This blogger would have to guess not. It would give a new joint president a lot more power than some governments, notably Britain's, intended giving any European official when they finally agreed the new Lisbon treaty. But is it being talked about in some circles in Brussels, in the nooks and crannies where the bush babies of EU evolution scurry about beneath the notice of dinosaur-like nation states? By the sound of it, yes.