European leaders gathering in Brussels are expected to discuss whether former PM Tony Blair should become the new president of the European Council.
Gordon Brown is expected lobby for his predecessor to get the job, which will be created by the Lisbon Treaty.
But until the treaty is ratified it is not know whether the job will be high-profile or a low-key chairman's role.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Europe needed a "strong voice" and denied Mr Blair was a divisive figure.