Tony Blair’s chances of becoming the European Union’s first president were fading fast last night as opposition to his selection grew across Europe and France and Germany failed to throw their weight behind him.

The case for the former Prime Minister came under attack from European leaders on the Right and the Left at a summit in Brussels, despite an appeal from Gordon Brown to Labour’s sister socialist parties in Europe to “get real” about the merits of Mr Blair.

Mr Brown found himself isolated among the seven other left-of-centre governments. In a clandestine proposal by senior EU leaders, the Left would nominate a candidate for the post of EU foreign minister, while the group of centre-right governments would nominate the president — effectively ruling out Mr Blair.

A shortlist compiled by the Party of European Socialists, seen by The Times, included David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary. Yesterday Mr Miliband reiterated that he was not available.

Mr Blair has not declared his candidacy for president but his allies have made clear that he would be prepared to give up his lucrative commercial interests, were the post set up as a grand diplomatic role on the world stage. However, several EU leaders made plain as they gathered in Brussels for the summit that they wanted a “chairman not a chief” to take up the presidency.

Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor and seen as Europe’s king-maker, has kept silent on the issue. British diplomats appear to accept that Mr Blair is struggling to gain her support. They admitted that his hopes were waning and suggested that Ms Merkel and President Sarkozy of France had not so far provided the level of support that Mr Blair would need. “There is a distinct lack of overwhelming enthusiasm from the French and the Germans,” a British diplomatic source said. “We have been realistic about some of the hurdles that exist in the way of a Blair candidature and felt that notwithstanding that, we should support Tony Blair’s candidacy because it is in Britain’s interest and Europe’s interest.”

EU leaders have agreed not to appoint their new president or foreign minister at this summit or even to hold formal discussions on candidates, because of the Czech Republic’s delay in ratifying the Lisbon treaty, the last signature needed from the 27 EU countries for it to come into force. In an effort to hasten the ratification, those at the summit agreed to provide the country its desired opt-out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The jobs are likely to be decided at a special summit next month.

At his pre-summit press conference yesterday Mr Brown talked up British support for Mr Blair but also hinted that the case was far from accepted around Europe. He suggested that there was “a lot of water [still] to go under the bridge” before the president was selected. “There is a general view that Tony Blair is a good candidate and would be an excellent president but there will inevitably emerge other candidates and they will have to be taken into consideration,” Mr Brown said. “We, Britain, are supporting Tony Blair.”

Speaking after the leaders’ dinner last night, a senior French official appeared to emphasise the negative aspects of Mr Blair’s case, recalling that Britain’s opt-out from various EU initiatives were “frankly not an advantage.”

Brian Cowen, the Irish Prime Minister, had to backtrack on his support for Mr Blair when one of his predecessors, John Bruton, threw his hat into the ring. Asked if he still backed Mr Blair, Mr Cowen said: “I indicated that he was held in high regard in Ireland and we would have to wait and see who the candidates would be. That is the full context of what I had to say.”

Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, who has spoken highly of Mr Blair, was unable to attend the summit because of illness and sent Franco Frattini, his Foreign Minister, who was decidedly less keen.

“We like Tony Blair even though we understand that many countries are not in favour of him,” he told ITV News. Asked why, he said: “Some are saying it is that the UK is not a member of Schengen [Europe’s borderless travel zone] nor the euro, so this is an element.”

Asked if Mr Berlusconi would vote for Mr Blair, he said: “We will see.”

José Luis Zapatero, Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister, said: “I want a real European president who wants to strengthen the union. He has to be in favour of the union and of the common policies.”

This was interpreted as an anti-Blair comment because a complaint is that as Prime Minister, Mr Blair failed to take Britain into the euro or the Schengen system, as well as opting out of the Lisbon treaty’s Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Mr Blair’s candidacy was dealt a further blow when three Liberal leaders, from Denmark, Finland and Ireland, agreed that they wanted the president to be a “chairman not a chief”. Matti Vanhanen, the Finnish Prime Minister, said: “The role of the permanent president — he or she is really the chairman of the European Council, not the President of Europe. The job is to prepare items for the European Council.”

Mr Blair’s candidacy is also failing to attract support in Britain. According to a Daily Telegraph/YouGov poll, fewer than one in three British voters want him to be president.

Mr Milband’s name appears on a shortlist compiled by the leaders of the left-of-centre parties. Also on the list are the Spanish foreign minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, the Romanian MEP Adrian Severin and three former foreign ministers, Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany, Elisabeth Guigou of France and Alfred Gusenbauer of Austria.

The centre-right EPP group has compiled its own shortlist for the post of president, which features Jan Peter Balkenende, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Jean-Claude Juncker, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, and Wolfgang Schüssel, the former Chancellor of Austria.

Times Recommends

• No apology for Germany’s own Nazi victims
• Intricate web of fear and hope tying down deal
• Victims remembered a year after Mumbai attacks