We asked you: Could you really stomach Tony Blair as EU President? These are your responses

YES

Yes; he's the one man with a backbone in this country. Carol Bridge . There is only one answer ... yes, yes and yes. G Grud .

Of course Tony Blair would be an excellent EU president. The stupidity of rotating the presidency means that Europe is losing its status in global affairs. As one of the largest markets we must ensure that we influence decisions. The growing influence of China and India means that without strong leadership the EU will be sidelined. Tony Blair is known throughout the world and is respected. We do not live in a dictatorship and the decision to got to war was made by the House of Commons. The press in this country failed to comment on the huge sums of money made by Tony Blair's predecessors. We somehow resent Tony Blair for doing the same or making more because he is in demand on the world stage. If the Lisbon Treaty is ratified there will be an EU President. Are we saying that we would rather have another European in the role rather than Tony Blair? I am one of many – that do not make the headlines and who is not anti-war – who would welcome the appointment. Jane Ashby

Is this a possible case of poacher becoming gamekeeper? Few have developed spin and self aggrandisement better – yet escaped the sleaze and corruption allegations levelled at the EU. It may be that Blair's mastery of "realpolitik" and lack of morality make him a very strong candidate. Clive Peaple

Yes Please! Imagine! Britain leads Europe once again, rather than all those nasty, negative headlines about the EU ruling Britain. But failing Tony, then I'd like to see my neighbour's rather plump and loveable cat Raffy as first President of the EU (although as Raffy died in the spring, we would need notice to exhume him and have him tarted up a bit for public office). Pete Stewart

NO

Tony Blair should be brought before the ICC and tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity with regard to the invasion of Iraq and complicity in torture renditions. To put such a tarnished figure into office without trial would make a mockery of all that is good about the EU. Dennis Sosnoski

Absolutely not. Wilma Corradi

Blair and Bush should be put on trial for war crimes. They had such indescribable and gutless contempt for democracy as to totally ignore the largest democratic demonstrations in the history of the human race, in order to go ahead with their predetermined and deadly project to impose "democracy" on Iraq. And, of course, the marchers were right. The idea of giving the Teflon parasite any sort of public office is utterly repellent. D Berg

Blair should not be the first president of the European Union, or president ever. His decision to take the UK to war when Iraq posed no threat, his lying over the existence of weapons of mass destruction, his concealment of his commitment to Bush to join the invasion when he pretended to the country that no such decision had been taken are grounds for prosecuting him as a war criminal. He is unfit for any public office, ever. Cynthia Hibbard

For Tony Blair to be president of the EU would be far worse than Paul Wolfowitz, prime architect behind the Iraq war, being head of the World Bank. Jon Waring

He doesn't have the moral authority to be president of the EU because of his involvement in the Iraq war and his support of Bush, and should not be appointed. It will be a black mark on the EU community if it happens. Ken Bradish

Appointing Tony Blair to the position of EU president is, to someone of my generation, like appointing Richard Nixon as head of the UN. On Iraq alone, he is guilty of the most flagrant and disgraceful deceit even for a politician; there is also the incontestable charge that diverting resources to Iraq lost the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. JT

If any one in Europe has any doubt about the wisdom of appointing Tony Blair, they should look at his record, in particular the situation in March 2003. People in France and Germany will remember that it was Blair who blamed them for deliberately ruining "a peaceful diplomatic settlement in Iraq" [because they refused to support a second resolution at the UN] when as we now know that Blair had already agreed to an invasion, regardless! Even now, it seems incredible that he had such contempt for the truth that he was comfortable blaming others while simultaneously telling us lies about WMD. It's bizarre that he's even considered as a contender for this vitally important job. Steve Parker

I do not want Blair to be president under any circumstances. It would be a travesty of the office. Elizabeth Lawrence

No, the EU doesn't need an opportunist like Mr Blair for its first president. Hanna Bloulos Hanna . No, no, a thousand times no! He's only in it for the money so he can buy more houses – in Belgium. R Platten

Do I think Tony Blair deserves to become the first president of the EU? One word answer: No! Joe White . Blair is a lawyer with scant respect for the law, other than to twist it for his purposes. Why must he continue to be rewarded for his moral bankruptcy that led us into an illegal war? Almost anyone else would be a better candidate than Blair. A Kassi

Mr Blair showed himself to be weak and impressionable in his dealings with America, and totally dishonest in his attitude to the electorate. Cliff Hanley

The UK needs to know the whole truth and nothing but the truth in respect of his decision to go to war. He should face prosecution. Lives have been lost and for what? He is is a criminal and as such should have his ill-gotten gains confiscated. All that Blair can do is swan around the world trying to convince everyone just how great he is. Peter Johnson Grey

No. Peter Bell

In a word: Never. JohDnhm

The answer is No. Jean-Claude Bailet . If I invade a neighbour's property and commit mayhem without even a by your leave, I get taken to court and possibly jailed. The same applies to Mr Blair. Roderic Kyle

Amazingly, even Cherie has virtually said that he deceived us. Why is it that the nationals of some countries are charged with war crimes, and those of countries like the UK and the US can just walk away? Britt Coulthurst

I find it loathsome that Blair should be considered for any office in Europe. He should be brought to trial for his part in launching an illegal war on a defenceless civilian population by lying about the alleged threat from Iraq. jonwoosnam

Only after has has been acquitted or served his sentence, Charles Daniels

No. He has blood on his hands and, with others, should be prosecuted for war crimes. If he does become the first president, it will only further convince me that lies and hypocrisy have absolutely won the day and that we most certainly live in an Orwellian world. Elspeth Corrigan

I, like many, am absolutely against Tony Blair becoming anything apart from an inmate at the European Courts of Justice for war crimes. Matthew O'Connell

The Blair premiership will be scarred by the fateful decision to go to war in Iraq. Beryl Milnes

No, most definitely not. Bill

No, no. Maria Dowbor

Any other candidate is preferable to Tony Blair who is irretrievably marked by shackling himself to George Bush in the war in Iraq. Additionally, his non presence as Middle East peace envoy gives him the worst possible job reference. Dick Banker

Mr Blair should not be EU president. Peter Harris

We must fervently pray that Tony Blair does not become any type of EU leader. He would forever taint the EU in general and the role of its president in particular with the horror that was the Bush/Blair arrogance. Ray Kenna

If Blair were to become the president of the EU, I'll gladly emigrate to the moon. How can any self-respecting, law abiding, moral individual even contemplate such a calamity? As Mr Brierley rightly testified: he has blood on his hands! Wasim Yunus . No, most certainly not. In the days before the invasion of Iraq, as a key member of the UN Security Council, France let it be known that it would veto any request for UN endorsement of an invasion. but Blair and Bush went ahead anyway. The invasion was illegal, and Blair (and Bush) should face charges of having committed war crimes. Ian R Elliott . Totally opposed to this. Eirwen Thomas

If he is appointed, it will finish Brown off completely. FLimited

When I first heard about the possibility of this happening, I believed it to be a cruel joke dreamt up by some political satirist. I could not imagine that somebody with Blair's track record could conceivably put himself forward, or be supported by even the worst cynic, for the post of EU president. B Schoer

Does Tony Blair deserve the EU presidency? Emphatically no. His dishonesty over the Iraq invasion ruined what little reputation this country had left. His cavalier disregard for Parliament, and indeed his own cabinet, ruined what little we had left of democracy. And his tying the UK's interests so closely to US Middle East policy has not protected us from terrorism. Do I want to see him do all this for Europe? No. And any EU president (if we ever have one) should be voted in by the citizens of Europe, not selected by a self-interested clique of insiders. Lesley Docksey

During the past few weeks, I have looked in vain in the German media and elsewhere for reports of Mr. Blair's impending appointment as the first president of the EU. There are very few and these few are less than enthusiastic or merely state that the British Government promotes or endorses such an appointment. However, there are many more in the EU who believe that Britain is a semi-detached member of the EU, always wanting to dominate or disrupt the running of it and often succeeding. Britain is not even a member of the eurozone and has opted out of various other agreements, notably Schengen, mostly under Mr Blair's leadership. In addition, Mr Blair is seen in Germany as a warmonger – hardly recommendations for a politician to become president of the EU. Mary Robinson, former president of the Irish Republic and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights would be a worthy candidate to become EU president; much more worthy than any of the other candidates put forward in the media in the UK. Helga Hanson

Tony Blair is a criminal. He should be locked up for war crimes against the Iraqi people (alongside George Bush, Cheney and the like). Peace envoy: hah, EU president: hah. K Badlan . Blair is a war criminal. Jason Collett

No, he deserves to be in the Tower. Ian Allenby

Has the world gone completely mad? Deirdre Cooper

Have you amassed a vast fortune over a few years spent destroying a once great political party? Have you thrown your country's finest into a hellish conflict lately? Do you thoroughly believe God is behind you in all of this? If so, apply now for an exciting new position! "President required. Ability to lead 27 European member-states essential. Salary £247,000 plus benefits." Steve Jao

Absolutely not! He is far too controversial, for one thing. For another, how can we possibly accept an unelected president of Europe who is under suspicion of having started a war under false pretences? Caroline Kennedy

Absolutely no – how can a man who took Britain to war against the wishes of the pople of Britain be trusted with the presidency of the EU? Q Morris

The place for Blair is the Hague. Geoffrey Durrant

He and his current "fool" are responsible for the state of the UK. Can Europe afford to allow a similar decade of lies and deceit to unroll as their foundation to success? DIL3730

Never! He supported Iraq war with that stupid Bush. He belongs to a country which is tepid with the EU and is out of the eurozone. A little coherence in life! Maria Antonietta Di Credico

Absolutely not. If the EU is ever to be a great institution for peace and social justice, then it cannot have a liar in a leading role. Blair is no more than a liar, and his lie has helped to lead to probably hundreds of thousands of deaths and the destruction of Iraq. Devra Wiseman

As a former Labour voter in the pre-Blair years, I do not think that he should be considered for the job of EU president. Mo Bowman

No, he should not be EU president. Peter Harris

If the integrity of the leadership of the EU leads to Blair being elected president I shall abandon many years of support through the Lib Dems and support Ukip. Reg Gale

Tony Blair has become a Catholic. To atone in a small way for all the evil he has done, Tony Blair should give way all his money to the women and girls of Iraq who were forced into prostitution through his invasion of Iraq, to the families in Iraq who lost loved ones, to the families of British soldiers who were killed in Iraq, to those who were wounded or maimed in the fighting, to the families of those who suffered bereavement or injury through terrorism as a direct result of his actions and to the family of Dr David Kelly who was hounded to his death over the Iraq invasion. Blair should then retire to a Christian monastery and live out the remainder of his life in prayer and contemplation over the evil that he has committed. KJR Borthwick

No. I would support Mrs Robinson, the ex-president of Ireland. Chris

Should Blair be president of Europe? No! Who would be preferable? Anybody. Except Hoon, Straw etc. Is there no protest group, no petition or other way of focussing opposition before it is too late? Ed Edmunds

It is outrageous that this man's name should even be considered for such a post. It is also utterly depressing that 34 per cent of those canvassed in the UK should actually support his nomination. One can only hope that the emergence of meaningful opposition to Blair will now burgeon into a movement that will make him totally unacceptable. Brian Denoon

Stop Tony Blair becoming the first president of the EU! There are many reasons (just to mention one, the Iraq war) why I don't like him, but as an Italian who lives and works in the UK, I especially can't forget that he used to be Berlusconi's best buddy (and maybe still is, as far as I know). At a time when Europe is dangerously underestimating the threat posed to democracy by Berlusconi and his government, the choice of Mr Blair would indeed mark a dismal beginning for the EU. Vincenzo Vergiani

No one should become EU president who has not been elected by the people. No one chosen by the "representatives" of member-states will command the respect necessary for such a position. The British Government should not be party to this farce. John Gibbs

No, no, no! He is a liar. He sent troops to Iraq on false pretences. He prevented British Aerospace being sued by the Serious Fraud Office on false pretences, citing "national security". He is one of the greatest hypocrites currently alive. What has he ever done for justice and a better life for people who needed it most when he was in power? Henk Slagter

A very definite No. At the times of both wars, he dissociated himself from other European leaders in favour of the US. P Keogh

How anyone can consider Tony Blair a worthy candidate for the EU presidency is beyond me. He told bare-faced lies during the run-up to the war and betrayed his Labour grassroots supporters by making common cause with the most incompetent, extreme right-wing US administration in living memory. He should be tried for war crimes, along with his buddies George Bush and Dick Cheney. Ernst A Klein

Blair's appointment would not only be an affront to the hundreds of thousands of victims of the Iraq war, it would be an insult to the European project itself. Before becoming prime minister, it appeared that Blair might begin to turn back the tide of British anti-Europeanism that so many of his predecessors, Labour and Conservative, had done nothing to prevent. Instead, he failed to speak up for the benefits of the EU, he vacillated, then buckled over the euro and he allowed the US to dictate UK foreign policy. Even his "ethical arms policy" turned out to be a shambles, as the BAE-Saudi Arabia contracts affair demonstrated. It would be astonishing if continental Europeans were to support his candidacy Simon Sweeney

Shameful! is all I can say. Laurent Du Pasquier

An absolute No. Patrick Howley

Your feature has given me the only option I know of to vote a resounding No to Blair. Thanks for the opportunity to state my democratic non-partisan case. JNC

Tony Blair is guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity for the slaughter of an estimated 1.5 million innocent Afghan and Iraqi people, and the deliberate contamination of their lands and people with depleted uranium munitions and devastation of their countries and economies. Tony Blair is not fit to become president of the EU. Philip Dawes

He will drag us into the Third World War. Never, never, never must we allow Tony Blair to become president of the EU. Maggie Milner

I am appalled at the thought of Tony Blair becoming president of the EU. To me it's not a matter of the money, it is a matter of his suitability to be the president. Not only is Britain not a "full" member of the EU by retaining the pound against the euro, but Blair deceived the country over Iraq and had no qualms about "telling stories" on any subject on which he wished to impose his will. He wasn't even honest about his true faith. I trust that the powers that be will see the "real" Mr.Blair for what he is and select someone more worthy of the position. James Harrison

I have been a life-long Labour voter. No more. Blair took this country to war on a pack of lies. It was/is a war of aggression and as such he and the his cabinet responsible for the decision are war criminals. Until they are indicted, I will not vote Labour again. Oh, and the answer to your question? A resounding "No". Dave

The Hon Member for Selly Oak (Clare Short) was correct when she described Blair as a twat. Bill Thompson

No – he is unsuitable to represent Europe, after the deaths and destruction he has caused in the Middle East. It is particularly sad for Irish people after the good work he did in helping bring about peace on our island – if that was his only legacy I would support him. Tina Neylon

I agree with Peter Brierley, whose son died in Iraq, that Blair has "blood on his hands", and regard him as unfit for any public office. Margaret Nelson

The thought of that man becoming EU president just makes my stomach heave. What a thick skinned b------ he must be. An ex-Blair supporter

Blair does not deserve to be an EU President – ever. Angela Merkel's idea seems more appropriate. Steve Kelsey

If there had even been a twitch of a rumour that Tony Blair was being considered, I would have joined Declan Ganley (yes, just that) in voting "No" to it. Stratton Sharpe

The EU has many enemies, doubters and detractors. It is about to appoint a new president who could, if trustworthy, build confidence. The worst person it could choose would be a scoundrel of universal renown. Keep Blair out! Nick Canever

It is vitally important that the first occupant of this post is seen as being a man or woman of uncontested integrity. Until the independent and public inquiry on the Iraq war reports, there should be no question of public office of this sort for Tony Blair, over whom many question marks hang. David Barker

A big No vote from me. Graham Cook

How anyone can seriously suggest that the the great liar could be president of the EU is beyond comprehension. John Ashton

No, I think it would be a total disrespect for integrity and a complete surrender to the superficial political machinations if we were to forget the Blair of Iraq and reward him in this way. Europe cannot disgrace itself in this way. Angela Sands

I can think of no one not currently serving a criminal sentence who is less worthy of becoming president of the EU than Tony Blair. He continues to be an embarrassment to the UK and should not be permitted to hold any public office. Andrew Bryan

As a committed European, I can think of nothing worse for the EU and the cause of closer involvement than the appointment of Tony Blair as EU president. What a gift to Ukip. Let him stay with his Middle East sinecure and on the public-speaking circuit. Anthony Nicholson

I do not want Tony Blair as president of the EU. Mike Murphy

Tony Blair arguably at least: 1) Undermined the UN. 2) Put George Bush too high on the British agenda and led the country down a path it could have avoided. 3) Put his world stage antics above British interests. I have no ideas for another candidate but it should be someone who understands the world and wants to really improve it. Paul Parry

I strongly oppose the suggestion that Blair should become president of the EU. At least one-third of the world's population consider that he is a man with blood on his hands and regard him as an enemy and hostile to their interests. His appointment as president would send out a hostile signal to those who feel persecuted by the West. David Blunt QC

Are there impediments to Tony Blair's assuming the presidency of the EU? In a polity where ethics were of any moment, the answer would, of course, be Yes. There is a very good case for arguing that Blair is a war criminal, directly responsible for thousands of deaths, including those of the UK forces. Michael Rosenthal

No. George Blair

There is no way on God's earth that Blair should be rewarded for his lies that led Britain to war. David Duncan

My reservations come from unanswered questions about the Invasion of Iraq. Simon Bridge

Blair does not deserve to be EU president. Steve Kelsey

Blair's appointment would not only be an affront to the hundreds of thousands of victims of the Iraq war. It would be an insult to the European project. Simon Sweeney

This war criminal should be in front of The Hague. Peter B

The sheer fact that this issue is a matter of discussion is depressing. Hannah McConnell

I would find it very hard to stomach Tony Blair as president of Europe – even setting aside my personal views about the man. He has been the US's poodle, has taken us to war on a flimsy pretext at enormous cost to the country. Why should the presidency not go to the Dutch PM? Judith and Hubert Brown

No to Mr Blair. It would be a total disgrace. Bob Wilson

The thought of that man becoming president makes my stomach heave. H Podd

Not under any circumstances. John F Mullen

In response to your call for comment I am struggling to convey my dismay, disillusion and utter contempt for those who would promote Blair for the EU Presidency. How dare M Sarkozy and others try to shove this self-serving war criminal and liar into the face of the British people, when Blair is a source of shame and revulsion to so many of us. My personal choice would be Paavo Lipponen but I would accept absolutely anyone chosen by consensus of our European partners, anyone except Blair. Julie Harrison

No. life in the UK is crazy and a lot of that is Tony Blair taking us into an illegal war with the Muslim world. Meant to be Iraq, but it turned out to be the Muslim world. Anne War

Blair should not be elected over Europe. Chas

I believe this handsomely paid position should be the result of an election. Andrew Doughty

It appears to me that Tony Blair, as someone accused of the crime of waging a war of aggression, should not be standing for this post. Jan Peter Balkenende, the Dutch premier, seems to be a decent man and there are no charges against him. Alexandra Hardie

If you wish to join a petition against Mr Blair becoming EU President, go to www.gopetition.com/online/16745.html