Danish PM favored for top EU role

BRUSSELS, May 6 (UPI) -- Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has emerged as the consensus candidate to sit as the new president of the European Council, officials say.

Rasmussen is getting support as a compromise between former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is opposed by Germany, and Irish politician Bartholomew Ahern, who is involved in a scandal involving alleged undeclared payments to the Irish prime minister.

The nomination to the presidency coincides with the appointment of a foreign minister for the European Union, meaning consensus is integral to the federation, The Times of London said Tuesday.

Though the position requires a majority vote by EU member states, a candidate must appeal to Britain, France and Germany, the largest financial supporters of the EU, the report said.