Tony Blair will stand for the presidency of the European Union if its leaders agree that the role is a substantial one requiring clout on the world stage, The Times has learnt.

The former Prime Minister would give up his lucrative commercial interests for a job that would allow him to “make a difference” for Europe, friends say.

In the clearest indication so far that Mr Blair wants the job, allies acknowledged last night that he would be a “highly interested spectator” as European heads of government meet tonight and tomorrow in Brussels.

The position was discussed last night by President Sarkozy of France and Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, at a meeting in Paris. The signs were that France had won lukewarm backing from Germany for Mr Blair but that neither country was prepared to provoke an EU split over the matter. A French diplomatic source suggested that the search was on for an alternative to Mr Blair and Jean-Claude Juncker, who is also in the running. The source said that France and Germany were looking for a “rare bird” capable of acting as an efficient council chairman and also as the EU’s voice to the outside world.

Gordon Brown publicly threw his support behind Mr Blair yesterday, saying that the Government would be “very happy” to back him if he entered the race. Officials admitted that Mr Brown would be pushing hard for him in informal soundings in Brussels.

Mr Blair has refrained from throwing his hat into the ring for a job that does not exist until the Lisbon treaty is ratified. But his allies make no secret of his interest in doing so if it is seen as an important role where he could use the leadership and diplomatic skills acquired during a decade of being Prime Minister of Britain. He will not run if countries such as Belgium and Luxembourg get their way and the job is seen solely in terms of someone who will permanently chair the Council of Ministers. Well-placed sources in the British Government put Mr Blair’s chances at 50-50.

The former Prime Minister’s friends say that he has never chased the job and is happy combining business interests and speaking engagements with his work as a Middle East envoy and for his Faith Foundation. Allies said that if he got the job, he would give up his business interests, reported to be a £2.5million-a-year consultancy with the US investment bank JP Morgan, a £2million deal to advise the finance firm Zurich and speaking engagements worth £100,000 a time. Reports suggest that he has earned £12million to £15million since standing down from government in 2007.

Opposition to Mr Blair’s candidacy from Conservatives led by William Hague, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, has left the former Prime Minister utterly bemused, according to a Cabinet source. Mr Hague told EU ambassadors that choosing Mr Blair would be interpreted as a hostile act.

Several countries are said to be worried about alienating the likely next British government. Others are known to have been irritated by the threatening tone of Mr Hague’s remarks, which follow the decision to sever ties with the European People’s Party and indications that the Tories will try to unpick existing EU treaties.

Chris Bryant, the Europe Minister, said it was unpatriotic of the Tories to oppose a British president of Europe.

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