Brussels - European Commission President Jose Manuel
Barroso's chances of a rapid re-appointment as head of the European
Union's executive suffered a setback Wednesday after the liberal
group in the European Parliament sided with the socialists in
opposing a July 15 vote on the issue.
Addressing reporters, the new head of the Alliance of Liberals and
Democrats for Europe (ALDE), former Belgian prime minister Guy
Verhofstadt, said Barroso's re-appointment is a process 'that
requires careful attention.'
'We have to talk about the substance first,' Verhofstadt said,
effectively ruling out the possibility of a vote taking place before
the parliament's summer recess.
European Union heads of state and government unanimously backed
Barroso for a second five-year term during last month's summit in
Brussels.
However, Barroso also requires the support of a majority in the
European Parliament.
While the biggest group in the parliament, the conservative Group
of the European People's Party (EPP), is ready to back the former
Portuguese premier, the second-largest formation, the left-of-centre
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (PASD),
is against him.
And ALDE officials said Wednesday it remained unclear whether the
EPP could muster a majority during this month's planned meeting,
meaning the group would be unlikely to push for an early vote.
In a statement, PASD leader Martin Schulz said the ALDE position
represented a victory for the anti-Barroso front.
'EU ministers, the Parliament's right wing and Mr Barroso himself
made a serious misjudgement when they assumed that a vote could be
rushed through this month,' Schulz said.
'The parliament is not a rubber stamp,' Schulz said, and the EPP
needs the support 'from us and from other pro-European forces.'
Barroso, 53, has headed the EU's executive since 2004. The
Brussels-based commission is charged with drafting new EU legislation
and making sure that member states obey current laws.
A decision on his re-appointment now looks set to be delayed until
September.
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