Downing Street Says

Asked for the Prime Minister’s thoughts following the decision by President Klaus to sign the treaty and whether he would attend a special EU Summit in the next ten days, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) told the assembled press that it was up to the Swedish Presidency to decide where and when a special one day summit would take place. The PMS added that it was likely to be in the next couple of weeks.

The PMS said that discussion at that summit wouldn’t just centre around the job of President and High Representative, but there would also be discussion about all the Commission portfolios as well. The Prime Minister would remain in close touch with other EU leaders. The PMS said that if Tony Blair decided that he wished to be a candidate for the role of President as it was delineated following the ratification of the treaty, then the Prime Minister would be very supportive of his candidacy.

Asked if the Prime Minister would be prepared to go further than that and twist Mr Blair’s arm if he was having any doubts, the PMS said it was not for the Prime Minister to actively twist anyone’s arm. They had been in touch ever since Mr Blair had left No10 and the PMS was sure this was a decision that Mr Blair wished to make himself. If Mr Blair did put himself forward then the Prime Minister would campaign for him.

Asked if people could assume that Mr Blair had not told the Prime Minister whether he wanted to be a candidate or not, the PMS said that it was his understanding that Tony Blair had been waiting for the decision in the court case followed by President Klaus signing the treaty.

Put that if Tony Blair did not wish to be a candidate, would the Prime Minister support another British candidate for President, the PMS said we had not got to that stage yet and he advised people to wait and see if Tony Blair would become a candidate before going any further.

Asked if the Prime Minister had a preferred candidate for the role of High Representative, the PMS said that the Prime Minister had not expressed a view in relation to the High Representative, other than both he and David Miliband ruling out the Foreign Secretary as being a candidate for that role.

Asked if the Prime Minister was concerned that on signing the treaty President Klaus had said that he did not agree with it, the PMS replied that the most important thing was that the treaty was signed and we could move forward. As the Prime Minister had said, we could put behind us what had been quite a lot of institutional uncertainty over many years.

Asked if the Foreign Secretary had definitely ruled himself out of the job as High Representative, the PMS said he was referring back to what the Foreign Secretary had said in the press conference last week in Brussels, where he could not have been more definitive.

Put that the Foreign Secretary had not said that he was ruling himself out as a candidate, the PMS said that he had not said those exact words, but people would accept that the Foreign Secretary had been definitive in answering direct questions about whether or not he was a candidate for the role.

Put that the Foreign Secretary had not said that he would never be a candidate, the PMS said that he had not used those exact words.

Put that Tony Blair had told Lord Mandelson that he wanted the job of EU President, so surely the Prime Minister knew he wanted to be a candidate, the PMS said that the Prime Minister had not heard directly from Tony Blair that he wished in light of the decision today to be a candidate.

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» Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Europe

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