Possible contenders for EU president

In order to pick an EU president, leaders must strike the right balance between different countries.  While there are still no official candidates, more than half a dozen politicians are said to be in the running.

The most possible candidate is Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy.  Despite coming to power less than a year ago, he has proved a steady hand running a difficult coalition during the financial crisis. Some European media have reported that German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have reached a common understanding to support Van Rompuy. Dutch Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende and Luxembourg Premier Jean-Claude Juncker are Van Rompuy's two rivals.

Meanwhile, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's chances seem to have receded after failing to win the backing of European socialists. His candidacy has been hampered by his strong advocacy for the war in Iraq.