Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, came second, with the backing of 23% of respondents, and the other frontrunner being mentioned for the job, Luxembourg's prime minister, Jean-Claude Juncker, won 12% of CNBC Europe's poll. The current EU commission president, José Manuel Barroso, was fourth place, with 10%.

The role of EU council president will come into being next year, if the organisation's member states ratify the Lisbon treaty. But the exact nature and status of the role is yet to be decided - some countries want a high-profile figure to represent the EU at a global level, while others would prefer a more low-key, bureaucratic figure.

Blair outlined his vision for a full-time EU president back in 2003, saying a dedicated figurehead would give the union a more powerful voice on the world stage. He said he believed the enlarged EU needed a full-time president, rather than the current rotating leadership.

He is currently working as a peace envoy to the Middle East and has taken up advisory roles with insurance firm Zurich and investment bank JP Morgan - and is reported to have signed a £5m-plus deal for his memoirs.