Italian ex-PM plays down chances of EU foreign job

(ROME) - Former Italian prime minister Massimo D'Alema said Sunday he thought he thought he had little chance of being appointed the new European Union foreign policy supremo.

D'Alema's name has been mentioned in connection with the role, created by the Lisbon Treaty, but he said he felt British Foreign Secretary David Miliband was still the favourite, particularly as former British PM Tony Blair now seems unlikely to be named as EU president.

Asked by the Corriere della Sera newspaper what he thought his chances were of being given the job, former communist D'Alema said: "Significantly less than 50 percent."

"The English cannot suffer two noes," D'Alema added, referring to Blair's dwindling chances of taking the new post of president of the European Council -- also created by the Lisbon Treaty.

Blair looked like the heavyweight candidate for a while, but his role in the Iraq conflict, and opposition to British opt-outs from core EU policies suggest it may prove impossible to form a consensus around him.

The EU hopes to name its new president and high representative for foreign and security policy in the next week.

It now looks likely, though not certain, that Miliband will take the foreign job and the presidency will go to Belgian Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy.