Commission crisis - Barroso may not be out of trouble

EUROPE is in uncharted waters. To avert a major political crisis, incoming EU President Jose Manuel Barroso had to back down in the row over controversial Italian Rocco Buttiglione's nomination as Justice Commissioner.

As a result, the commission is in disarray, its appointment stalled for several weeks.

The blunt question now facing the president designate concerns his inability to pick a team and get it through parliament. Had the commission collapsed, which seemed inevitable as yesterday's crunch vote loomed, he would have had no choice but to go himself.