The EU commission's most influential jobs - competition and economic affairs - seem to have been earmarked for two veterans on the Barroso team - Spaniard Joaquin Almunia and Finn Olli Rehn, news wires and national media in Germany, France and Italy report. ... One point of uncertainty concerns France's Michel Barnier, who could get the internal market file, but stripped of its financial regulation elements, which most likely will become a separate portfolio. It is still unclear what Paris' next move will be if this is the case. President Nicolas Sarkozy could even withdraw Mr Barnier and put forward Christine Lagarde, whose strong credentials could re-jig the whole scheme, some EU officials speculate.
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One point of uncertainty concerns France's Michel Barnier, who could get the internal market file, but stripped of its financial regulation elements, which most likely will become a separate portfolio. It is still unclear what Paris' next move will be if this is the case. President Nicolas Sarkozy could even withdraw Mr Barnier and put forward Christine Lagarde, whose strong credentials could re-jig the whole scheme, some EU officials speculate.
