Gamblers see Belgian as first EU president

BRUSSELS, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Belgium's prime minister is the favorite to become the European Union's first permanent president, the British oddsmaker Ladbrokes said.

Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, who speaks several languages and is known for his haiku, is favored by oddsmakers over former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Ladbrokes officials said.

Leaders of the EU's 27-member nations choose the alliance's first permanent president Thursday to serve a term of two years.

Blair publicly hasn't said he wants the job, and aides close to Blair have said he would be interested only if the role was seen as presidential rather than legislative, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The EU's other president -- the head of the European Commission, the EU's executive arm -- will enjoy more power and independence than the EU's permanent president, who will run the EU's legislative branch, the Journal reported.

As a master of procedural minutiae who can run committee meetings in several languages, Van Rompuy is well-suited for the job, Tobias Van Assche, a University of Antwerp political scientist told the Journal.