When José Manuel Barroso became president of the European Commission in 2004, environmental groups feared the worst. When he named Stavros Dimas, a former Wall St lawyer, as the EU's environment commissioner, they shuddered: the Greek, who has since won over many of his early critics, came from the only country in Europe without an environment minister. Yet in the last few weeks, Mr Barroso has undergone a remarkable conversion and emerged as a champion of the environmental cause. His aides deny he has suddenly "gone green", but as recently as May 2006 climate change was barely mentioned by the former Portuguese prime minister as he set out his vision for the "future of Europe". But last week he put climate change at the top of his list of priorities: a "serious and urgent issue" requiring tough action. Colleagues say the new approach is already being felt in policy areas. His position matters because Mr Barroso exerts a tight grip on an organisation with the power to set environmental standards and targets. What is decided in Brussels often has a direct impact on companies far beyond Europe.
When he named Stavros Dimas, a former Wall St lawyer, as the EU's environment commissioner, they shuddered: the Greek, who has since won over many of his early critics, came from the only country in Europe without an environment minister.
Yet in the last few weeks, Mr Barroso has undergone a remarkable conversion and emerged as a champion of the environmental cause.
His aides deny he has suddenly "gone green", but as recently as May 2006 climate change was barely mentioned by the former Portuguese prime minister as he set out his vision for the "future of Europe".
But last week he put climate change at the top of his list of priorities: a "serious and urgent issue" requiring tough action. Colleagues say the new approach is already being felt in policy areas.
His position matters because Mr Barroso exerts a tight grip on an organisation with the power to set environmental standards and targets. What is decided in Brussels often has a direct impact on companies far beyond Europe.
Indeed Dimas was also finance minister before becoming Commissioner. I don't know how many is that "many" whom he supposedly won over, but in my impression, he didn't do much good. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
A sceptical interpretation coud be that Barroso exposed himself as the poodle of a poodle: this all sounds like echoing Bliar's (highly hypocritical and empty) rhetoric in the last few weeks. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
