06/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern is to be added to the list of those running for the post of president of the European Council, as foreseen in the Lisbon Treaty, the Irish press reports. Mr Ahern is said to have the support of several small member states as well as Poland. Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who is already cited as one of the possible candidates, is also said to be ready to leave his post at the end of this year (after having organised referendums on doing away with the Danish opt-out on the euro, defence and justice/home affairs policy) to take over the Presidency of the European Council as of 1 January 2009, the Danish newspaper, Ekstra Bladet, reports. Mr Rasmussen's spokesman has refused to comment on such “speculation”. Other possible candidates are: Jean-Claude Juncker, Tony Blair, Guy Verhofstadt and Wolfgang Schüssel. (H.B.)