Focus on Barroso now as he pieces together new commission

EUROPEAN Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso begins putting together his new commission this week – but he will have to leave at least one country out.

Even though the Irish voted to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, the old Nice Treaty rules still apply because the Czech and Polish presidents have so far refused to sign the new document.

A solution being put forward by the Swedish presidency is that 26 countries – one less than the total – will have a Commissioner and the country left out will have the important EU foreign relations job as Javier Solana resigns later this month.