Blair calls for European president

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has warned the European Union that it must elect a leader or face being left behind by the world''s emerging economies. The former Labour party leader told The Times newspaper that unless the bloc adopted strong, collective leadership and direction, it would end up trailing in the wake of China, India and Brazil. Blair shrugged off public fears about more control passing into the hands of EU institutions and called for a shift in the perception of the bloc''s role from one as a peacemaker to one as a world superpower. "For Europe, the crucial thing is to understand that the only way that you will get support for Europe today is not on the basis of a sort of postwar view that the EU is necessary for peace," he argued. "In a world in particular in which China is going to become the dominant power of the 21st century, it is sensible for Europe to combine together, to use its collective weight in order to achieve influence," he added. The divisive former leader, who was once touted as a possible candidate for the job of president of the European Council, believes that the accountability of an elected leader would outweigh concerns over a concentration of power. Blair urged for the completion of the single market and for common European policies on energy, defence, immigration and organised crime