Blair's 'third way' for Europe

Analysis
By Nick Assinder
Political Correspondent, BBC News website

Tony Blair's big speech to Euro MPs was one of his visionary, modernising performances of the type Britons are used to hearing at Labour conference or election rallies.

Blair has set himself ambitious task

It was a classic New Labour, even third way speech that appeared to offer some comfort to both enthusiastic and sceptical Europeans with talk of a flexible, liberal economy combined with a strong social framework.

His suggestion he was "a passionate pro-European" brought heckles from the floor and he was left in no doubt, if he still had any, about the anger and dismay at the way the EU has been brought to the present crisis.

And more than a few blamed him for his claimed intransigence over the UK rebate.

He also won praise - often, notably, from the more sceptical wing of the European parliament - for his demands for radical reform of the budget.

But the prime minister was also left little doubt about the size of the challenge he has set himself at the start of his EU presidency.

Familiar chord

And from the low-key response to his speech, it appeared the majority were reserving judgement on both his vision and his leadership.

If there was one over-riding message that emerged from the numerous opposing views offered during the debate it was that he needed to deliver - something that will have struck a familiar chord with the prime minister.

Euro MPs rehearsed arguments

The trouble is, the opposing sides each seized on the bits in his speech that appealed to them, and demanded it was those he should deliver on. That is the problem he has set himself.

So the conservatives welcomed what they claimed was his conversion to free markets and the need for economic reform, while the left backed his support for social policies that protected workers' rights.

It was the more hard line groups like UKIP, the Socialists and the Greens who probably delivered the fiercest attacks on the prime minister's approach - but these are not groups he has ever worried about.

And it appeared that all sides were agreed that reform was actually necessary - something that, in itself, may be seen as a small victory for the prime minister.

Trading insults

The well-rehearsed positions on the UK rebate and the Common Agricultural Policy were voiced, with the prime minister facing some bitter allegations of having done more damage in the three days of the recent Brussels summit than he could undo in six months as EU president.

Blair wants new direction for EU

So, his plea for the competing sides to stop trading insults or concentrating on personalities was not overwhelmingly endorsed.

And it remains pretty clear that the rifts caused over the French and Dutch rejections of the EU constitution and the subsequent row whipped up over the UK rebate and budget reform still have a long way to run before they can be put aside.

It is a huge task and Tony Blair knows it. Indeed, he has chosen to set himself an ambitious target for his six-month presidency.

That must be seen as part of a wider agenda, including progress at the G8 on the environment and Africa, which he has added to his domestic agenda of reform.

But that is what the prime minister is attempting to do in order to, as he said himself, seize the opportunities offered by crisis.