Stockholm - A European Parliament vote on Jose Manuel
Barroso, who is vying for a second term as president of the executive
European Commission, is unlikely until September, leaders of the
European Parliament said Monday during a visit to Sweden.
Sweden last week took over the rotating presidency of the European
Union, and has expressed hopes for an early election of Barroso.
'Hopefully it will be possible to elect a president of the
Commission in September,' outgoing European Parliament President
Hans-Gert Poettering told a joint news conference with Swedish Prime
Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.
'We don't see a majority now for the election of the president in
July,' Poettering said, adding that 'the position of some groups has
changed' since the Eurpean Parliament was elected last month.
On July 15, Reinfeldt is scheduled to visit the newly elected
European Parliament to present the Swedish EU presidency's agenda.
The programme is topped by efforts to tackle growing unemployment
in the wake of the financial crisis and secure an international
climate treaty at a UN conference in Denmark in December.
Reinfeldt has called for 'stable, well-working institutions.'
Poettering said he welcomed and backed the Swedish programme.
Martin Schulz, leader of the second-largest group in parliament,
the European Socialists (PSE), told reporters that his impression
'after listening to other group leaders' and Reinfeldt was that there
was a majority to vote on Barroso in September.
Asked if the delay would risk slowing down the EU, Schulz said he
did not believe so, noting that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had
said that Germany's candidate to the incoming commission would not be
named until after Germany's national elections September 27.
'The Commission in office until the end of October and they can
act,' Schultz said.
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