‘Will you be the President of Europe, Gordon?’

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – Just waiting for Gordon Brown to turn up for the European Socialist group meeting in Brussels.

I hear that the Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, last week asked Gordon Brown if HE would be the new President of Europe (do you think Charles Clarke put him up to it?). Anyway, Mr Brown said no thanks.

It gives you an idea how very fluid this whole thing has been and still is.I hear the Dutch are furious with the Germans for backing a Belgian but as of this moment there is a blocking minority against the Belgian PM, Mr Van Rompuy though it’s not quite clear whether the UK is part of that blocking majority.

(My thanks to diligent – idle? – colleagues at Channel 4 News who tell me that Mr Van Rompuy hasn’t even made it on to the 263-strong list on the Famous Belgians website.)

There have been requests for Tony Blair to consider the Foreign Affairs High Rep job – no word yet on whether he has definitely turned that down but it’s hard to imagine him cheerfully serving as second fiddle to a Belgian PM.

The Dutch are furious with the Germans for backing a Belgian – or so I am told.

And to add to all the mist the EU Commission President Manuel Barroso, whose Commission jobs may hold the key to brokering the deal on the Presidency and High Rep jobs, is said to be not playing ball and refusing to show his cards on who he wants where in the Commission.

Related: Carving up the EU top jobs – should you care?
A 50-50 chance Blair’s EU bid folds before Thursday

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