Tony Blair will next week take over the presidency of the European Union for six months. For Britain's prime minister, the timing is awkward, but also opportune. On the one hand, Mr Blair's relations with other leaders (notably France's Jacques Chirac) have hit a new low, after a vicious row about the EU budget. That will make it hard for Mr Blair even to pretend to play the role of impartial chairman. On the other, the EU is in disarray and looking for new ideas and leadership. Could this be the moment when Mr Blair finally seizes control of the European agenda? Whatever their differences, Europe's leaders agreed, after the summit collapsed at midnight on June 17th, that the EU is in a mess. Jean-Claude Juncker, prime minister of Luxembourg, who chaired the meeting, declared that Europe was in "deep crisis". Mr Chirac echoed these words and placed the blame squarely on Mr Blair, whom he accused of "egoism". A visibly angry Mr Blair shot back at French accusations that Britain lacked a European spirit, saying pointedly that "Europe isn't owned by anybody." He demanded a fundamental debate on the EU'S future priorities.
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