President Blair?

I've just seen the reported results of a European poll from yesterday's FT, and the paper seems to be suggesting that they favour Mr Blair's chances of being the first President of Europe - at least when compared to Jean-Claude Juncker (who?), prime minister of Luxembourg (where?)

In an article penned by the splendidly-named James Blitz, Britain's pre-eminent eurofanatical paper made the following observations:

A clear majority of citizens in nearly all the large European Union states believe the EU must choose a high-profile figure as its first president ... a Harris poll for the FT shows that more than three-quarters of people surveyed in France, Italy and Spain believe the job must go to a high-profile figure who can represent the Union effectively - a view which was also supported by 50 per cent of Britons ...

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and Tony Blair, the former British premier, are the only two politicians who get a clear level of support in countries that are not their own.

Merkel, of course, isn't available - she's got a proper job. Which at this stage makes Mr Blair the people's choice.

The polling on potential candidates deals another blow to Mr Juncker. Although 7 per cent of Germans want him to be EU president, he fails to receive the backing of more than 1 per cent of people in any other state.

Unfortunately for Tony Blair, however, the EU is known for its tyranny and corruption rather than any democratic tendencies.

On that basis, this poll means I'm putting my money on the undistinguished nonentity from the obscure tax haven ...