In Praise of Tony Blair

The United States led a chorus of cheers for Blair, who announced he would step down on June 27 after a decade in power, with President George W. Bush saying he would miss the British prime minister as "a political figure who is capable of thinking over the horizon. He's a long-term thinker."

"I have found him to be a man who's kept his word," Bush said, adding he counted Blair as a friend. "When Tony Blair tells you something, as we say in Texas, you can take it to the bank."

European leaders focused on Blair's legacy to the unity of the European Union, although analysts in Brussels suggested he could perhaps have done more, and EU officials agreed that euro-skepticism remained strong in Britain.

"Tony Blair has taken Britain from the fringes to the mainstream of the European Union. He has done this by engagement, not by vetoes," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement.

"He has brought to Europe energy, engagement and ideas and leaves an impressive legacy including his commitment to enlargement, energy policy, his promotion of action against climate change, and for fighting poverty in Africa.”

"Above all he has shared in our determination to create an open, reforming and strong Europe. I greatly value our friendship and I wish him success for the future," he said.

But in a separate statement Barroso acknowledged: "I have to say ... that in Britain, honestly, the debate for Europe is not yet won."

Merkel speaks of mutual trust

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she had learned with regret of Blair's decision to step down, saying in a statement they had enjoyed "great mutual trust on all international and European issues."

"Chancellor Merkel and Tony Blair have worked together very closely and with great mutual trust on all international and European issues," Merkel's chancellery statement said. "She looks forward to continuing their cooperation to meet the challenges that lie ahead at the upcoming G8 summit and the European Council meeting and knows that she can rely on Prime Minister Blair's advice."

The chancellery said Merkel was confident that Berlin and London will continue to enjoy good relations after Blair's departure on June 27 after a decade in power.

NATO chief praises Blair's commitment

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said that Blair’s commitment to causes he believed in made him stand out on the global stage. "Tony Blair was a leader with a capital L, not a politician who looks at opinion polls first and decides what he is going to do but a leader who leads and I think for me that is the most important feature I could mention about Tony Blair."

"Despite resistance he thought this was the right course for Great Britain and he did,” the NATO chief continued. "We all know that Iraq caused a split in the Security Council and the European Union and NATO but, right or wrong, this was Tony Blair thinking that this was the way."

Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, whose country held the rotating EU presidency in 2004, said he would miss Blair, adding that "a significant political figure is leaving the European and world stage."

"At times of tension, Blair was a force for unity," Balkenende said, referring to the bomb attacks in London in July 2005 and the death of Princess Diana in 1997.

Danish PM hails a friend of Denmark

Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that Blair had brought their two countries closer together and praised his willingness to cooperate in European and international politics. "Britain has been under Tony Blair's leadership one of Denmark's closest international partners... working together in the EU or in international operations in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan," he said.

Finnish President Tarja Halonen hailed Blair's role in strengthening Europe's ties with the United States. "As is tradition in his country, he maintained close ties with the United States and in doing so strengthened Europe's transatlantic relationship," Halonen said in a statement. She made no mention of Blair's decision to involve Britain in the US-led war in Iraq, which Finland opposed due to the lack of a UN mandate.

Blair also "increased Britain's involvement in European integration and made Britain an active member of the European Union," she said.

Hungary's socialist Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany praised Blair’s domestic record as a left-wing leader. "He greatly contributed to the transformation of Britain, that Britain today is again competitive, a country with a significant influence, and at the same time he left an indelible mark on the British left," he said.

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt called Blair a "jovial, easygoing person" and a "fantastic speaker," but said the Iraq war led to Blair's eventual demise and that his decision to join the 2003 invasion was likely influenced by the notion that "every British prime minister has a historical duty to be very close to the American administration."

Irish leaders join chorus of approval

Special tribute to Blair's "priceless legacy of peace" came from Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern just two days after Catholic and Protestant political leaders took office in a restored power-sharing government in Northern Ireland. "Tony Blair leaves office with an honored place in our history assured," Ahern said.

"Tony Blair leaves a priceless legacy of peace and agreement in Ireland. Our two governments forged an unprecedented partnership that made a real difference and achieved a transformation in the relationship between Britain and Ireland," Ahern continued. "He has been a friend to Ireland. And I am proud also to count him as a friend of mine."

Northern Ireland's First Minister Ian Paisley, who was sworn in as part of an historic power sharing agreement with republican Sinn Fein, said: "There were many issues on which we did not see eye to eye and indeed he kept me out of Downing Street for several years."

"Also unionists do not forget his failure to live up to promises in the early years. They believe he was too willing to offer concessions to republicans, which may have delayed the progress that has been achieved recently," he added. "There is no doubt, however, that the prime minister's concerted efforts helped in ultimately securing devolution in Northern Ireland."

Gerry Adams, the Sinn Fein president added: "Tony Blair has made a significant and crucial contribution to the Irish peace process. The Good Friday Agreement and the restoration of the political institutions would not have been possible without him."