Jose Manuel Barroso may have the backing of Europe's heavyweights to continue as Commission President, but France, at least, is expected to look for something in return. Both the French and German leaders want Barroso to produce a formal policy programme ahead of a parliamentary vote on a second mandate. Analyst Marco Incerti of the Centre for European Policy Studies said: "I think it is always part of the political game, so there are a lot of negotiations taking place. Mr Sarkozy will no doubt want something in exchange for giving in on small legal details, so I think it may be a case of him raising the stakes so that he can get some concessions, maybe some portfolio which he is interested in for the French commissioner." President Sarkozy has indicated France wants a senior commission post for Michel Barnier, the current French Agriculture Minister. French diplomatic sources Paris is eyeing the strategically important Internal Markets portfolio, presently being occupied by Ireland's Charlie McCreevy. Sarkozy said he and Chancellor Merkel had agreed to back each other's choices for jobs on the Commission.
Jose Manuel Barroso may have the backing of Europe's heavyweights to continue as Commission President, but France, at least, is expected to look for something in return.
Both the French and German leaders want Barroso to produce a formal policy programme ahead of a parliamentary vote on a second mandate.
Analyst Marco Incerti of the Centre for European Policy Studies said: "I think it is always part of the political game, so there are a lot of negotiations taking place. Mr Sarkozy will no doubt want something in exchange for giving in on small legal details, so I think it may be a case of him raising the stakes so that he can get some concessions, maybe some portfolio which he is interested in for the French commissioner."
President Sarkozy has indicated France wants a senior commission post for Michel Barnier, the current French Agriculture Minister. French diplomatic sources Paris is eyeing the strategically important Internal Markets portfolio, presently being occupied by Ireland's Charlie McCreevy.
Sarkozy said he and Chancellor Merkel had agreed to back each other's choices for jobs on the Commission.
President Sarkozy has indicated France wants a senior commission post for Michel Barnier, the current French Agriculture Minister.
Interesting. Especially considering that Mr.Barnier was leading the ruling party's UMP list for the EP elections in the Paris region last Sunday.
And that Mr.Sarkozy made it a semi-official rule that every candidate on the UMP's EP list who would be elected would have to serve in Strasbourg.
What do you know: some are more equals than the others and electoral promises are only biding for the fools who believe them.
To be fair, Mr.Barnier is not alone in his predicament: Brice Hortefeux, a long time ally of N.Sarkozy, who was the first to head the famous "Ministry of Immigration and National Identity", has unexpectedly been elected to the EP as well - he was running in the Auvergne region.
Not to worry: Mr.Hortefeux will be spared the exile to Strasbourg and will be allowed to remain in Paris the French cabinet (Ministry of Labor). Only Ms.Dati - who has incurred the President's displeasure - will end up at the EP, it seems...
No wonder the turnout was so exceptionally low. French people have noticed the EP doesn't matter one bit for our ruling elite. They don't even try to disguise their contempt for Europe's legislative body.
Another show of contempt (among others): the EP has passed a law prohibiting the suspension of a citizen's Internet access if not authorized by a judge. Yet, the UMP majority rammed the infamous HADOPI law into the French parliament that does just that - EP be damned.
Last week, the Constitutional Council (French equivalent of the US Supreme Court for constitutional law), struck it out. You'd think any wise government would let the matter rest, having been censored by both the European Parliament and France's higher court.
You'd be wrong. Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Americans think a hundred years is a long time.
