PARIS (AFP) –
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Friday that Britain's refusal to join the euro currency would be a "problem" for Tony Blair's chances of becoming the first European Union president.

Sarkozy was reportedly one of the first EU leaders to put Blair's name forward in 2007.

The former prime minister has never officially declared himself a candidate but there has been a mounting controversy in recent months over his name.

Sarkozy said in an interview with Le Figaro newspaper that "it is too early to say" whether Blair would be a good candidate for the EU presidency, one of the key posts set up by the EU's Lisbon reform treaty.

"There will be a debate," Sarkozy said. "There are two ideas: should the president be strong and charismatic, or a president who is good at finding consensus and who organises the work?

"Personally I believe in a Europe that is politically strong and has a figurehead. But the fact that Britain is not in the euro remains a problem."

The Financial Times reported in June 2007 that Sarkozy had discussed with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders the prospect of Blair becoming the first EU president.

While the Lisbon struggles to complete its ratification in all 27 EU members, some -- led by Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands -- have already indicated that Blair does not have a sufficiently pro-European profile for the president's job.