Luxembourg's prime minister, Jean-Claude Juncker, hinted on Thursday that he would be interested in taking over the job of full-time president of the European Council, according to dpa. Asked whether he was considering the job by his country's main newspaper, Luxemburger Vort, Juncker said: "I have always declared that I would prefer to stay in Luxembourg. But I have to consider ... how my European engagement can help my country." This is the first time that Juncker has publicly responded to rumours that he may be a strong candidate for the post. The "Mister Europe" position would represent the interest of member states within the EU executive, the commission. The post is being created by the recently-approved EU Reform Treaty, which must now be ratified by all 27 members before it can come into force, in 2009. Other possible candidates include former British premier Tony Blair and Anders Fogh Rasmussens, the prime minister of Denmark. The 53-year-old conservative politician is a well-known figure in Brussels and is considered one of the bloc's doyens. A convinced pro-European, he has served as Luxembourg's prime minister since 1995 and as its finance minister since 1989. In this capacity he chairs the monthly meetings of the Eurogroup, which brings together finance ministers of the 15 countries that share the euro. Who should get the job of European Council president was likely to come up for discussions on the margins of a summit of EU leaders, currently underway in Brussels.
