Despite his unanimous nomination by European Union governments, MEPs are having fun and games over the re-appointment of José Manuel Barroso as President of the European Commission. Barroso should be a shoo-in. The disarray of centre left parties in the European elections was symbolised by their inability even to agree on a candidate to rival the Portuguese conservative. He seemed a certainty after securing the support of three key centre-left governments – Britain, Portugal and Spain – before gaining the nomination of the 27-member European Council in June.
But in a sign of things to come under the Lisbon Treaty – which will give the European Parliament more power if it passes a second Irish referendum – an alliance of socialist, liberal and Green MEPs is asserting its right to have a say in the appointment process.
Barroso’s future has now become a high-stakes test of the relative strengths and working relationship of the European Parliament and the member states in the EU decision-making system. His mandate expires on October 31, but there was support for a quick decision on his re-appointment at the opening European Parliament session next week from the biggest bloc, the 265-MEP centre-right European People’s Party, supported by the Tories’ new anti-federalist group with 55 MEPs.
But despite the right’s success in the elections, it does not quite have a majority to force Barroso through. The tipping point was the election of Flemish Liberal Guy Verhofstadt to lead his group – the man originally put forward by the French and Germans for the post of Commission president in 2004, but junked as too federalist by Tony Blair in favour of Barroso.
The delay now will have several effects. Sweden, which just took over the EU presidency role, had urged a quick vote, arguing that strong Commission leadership was needed to push through the EU’s climate change position ahead of the Copenhagen summit. MEPs did not buy this, marking a new difficult phase of their relationship with governments.
Many MEPs hope their vote on Barroso will not take place until after Lisbon has been ratified. It will then require an absolute rather than a simple majority, putting extra pressure on Barroso to bend to the policy agenda of social support during the recession rather than competition and open markets.
The European Parliament is positioning itself for a big say over the other key jobs to be created by the Lisbon Treaty –- the EU’s foreign minister and president of the European Council (prime candidate: T Blair). On paper, it should have no say over the latter but all three are now inextricably linked. In the time-honoured Brussels calculation for these things, if a centre-right figure from a small southern member state gets the Commission, then the two new jobs should go to figures from northern and central countries. The centre-left will expect one, but is unlikely to view Blair as one of its own and may dig in for the foreign minister if the member states want the former Prime Minister as their convener.
It all makes for a rowdy autumn as the new Parliament flexes its muscles in the constant jockeying between EU institutions and the right’s increased presence in Strasbourg is tested by the other half of the chamber. l
David Charter is Europe correspondent of The Times
The jockeying for position in the new European Parliament means testing times lie ahead, says David Charter
Despite his unanimous nomination by European Union governments, MEPs are having fun and games over the re-appointment of José Manuel Barroso as President of the European Commission. Barroso should be a shoo-in. The disarray of centre left parties in the European elections was symbolised by their inability even to agree on a candidate to rival the Portuguese conservative. He seemed a certainty after securing the support of three key centre-left governments – Britain, Portugal and Spain – before gaining the nomination of the 27-member European Council in June.
But in a sign of things to come under the Lisbon Treaty – which will give the European Parliament more power if it passes a second Irish referendum – an alliance of socialist, liberal and Green MEPs is asserting its right to have a say in the appointment process.
Barroso’s future has now become a high-stakes test of the relative strengths and working relationship of the European Parliament and the member states in the EU decision-making system. His mandate expires on October 31, but there was support for a quick decision on his re-appointment at the opening European Parliament session next week from the biggest bloc, the 265-MEP centre-right European People’s Party, supported by the Tories’ new anti-federalist group with 55 MEPs.
But despite the right’s success in the elections, it does not quite have a majority to force Barroso through. The tipping point was the election of Flemish Liberal Guy Verhofstadt to lead his group – the man originally put forward by the French and Germans for the post of Commission president in 2004, but junked as too federalist by Tony Blair in favour of Barroso.
The delay now will have several effects. Sweden, which just took over the EU presidency role, had urged a quick vote, arguing that strong Commission leadership was needed to push through the EU’s climate change position ahead of the Copenhagen summit. MEPs did not buy this, marking a new difficult phase of their relationship with governments.
Many MEPs hope their vote on Barroso will not take place until after Lisbon has been ratified. It will then require an absolute rather than a simple majority, putting extra pressure on Barroso to bend to the policy agenda of social support during the recession rather than competition and open markets.
The European Parliament is positioning itself for a big say over the other key jobs to be created by the Lisbon Treaty –- the EU’s foreign minister and president of the European Council (prime candidate: T Blair). On paper, it should have no say over the latter but all three are now inextricably linked. In the time-honoured Brussels calculation for these things, if a centre-right figure from a small southern member state gets the Commission, then the two new jobs should go to figures from northern and central countries. The centre-left will expect one, but is unlikely to view Blair as one of its own and may dig in for the foreign minister if the member states want the former Prime Minister as their convener.
It all makes for a rowdy autumn as the new Parliament flexes its muscles in the constant jockeying between EU institutions and the right’s increased presence in Strasbourg is tested by the other half of the chamber. l
David Charter is Europe correspondent of The Times
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