16/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - Tony Blair's possible candidature to the post of permanent president of the European Council continues to give prompt reaction. While Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has expressed his support for Blair, French President Nicolas Sarkozy seems to be putting his support for the former British prime minister into perspective. The fact that Blair comes from a country that is not part of the eurozone “is still a problem”, he told Le Figaro on 16 October. In the meantime, the French section of the Union of European Federalists (UEF) has made its choice. In a press release, it suggests three candidates: Jean-Claude Juncker, Guy Verhofstadt, or Felipe Gonzales. (H.B./transl.jl)