EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - One week after EU leaders proposed to make Jose Manuel Barroso European Commission chief for a second time, it is no clearer whether the Portuguese politician is likely to get a majority if put to a vote mid July. Consultations due to take place Thursday (25 July) between the incoming Swedish EU presidency and leaders of the political groups in the parliament have been postponed until 6 July in the hope to get a clearer picture of how each group stands on the matter. MEPs will decide on 9 July whether to put the Barroso issue on vote in the July plenary session A spokesperson for the Swedish presidency said that Stockholm had made the move to "show some flexibility." "The ambience coming from the parliament showed that this was perhaps a good idea," he said, adding that Sweden is hoping the extra time will help opinions on the Barroso candidacy crystallise.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - One week after EU leaders proposed to make Jose Manuel Barroso European Commission chief for a second time, it is no clearer whether the Portuguese politician is likely to get a majority if put to a vote mid July.
Consultations due to take place Thursday (25 July) between the incoming Swedish EU presidency and leaders of the political groups in the parliament have been postponed until 6 July in the hope to get a clearer picture of how each group stands on the matter.
MEPs will decide on 9 July whether to put the Barroso issue on vote in the July plenary session
A spokesperson for the Swedish presidency said that Stockholm had made the move to "show some flexibility."
"The ambience coming from the parliament showed that this was perhaps a good idea," he said, adding that Sweden is hoping the extra time will help opinions on the Barroso candidacy crystallise.
Euractiv tells us (caveat, on the strength of undisclosed "sources") that a "large majority of MEPs" is against holding a July vote on the candidature of José Manuel Barroso for a new mandate as European Commission president. In other words, they want to wait till the new parliament is sworn in in the autumn. This is not yet a declaration of majority intent to oppose Barroso, but it looks as if the EPP (conservative) that backs Barroso, and Council (the governments of the member states) that unanimously proposed his candidature, are going to have a hard time pushing through a quick vote in July.
