EU commission favourite not known as a communicator

Portuguese Prime Minister and European Commission presidential nominee José Manuel Durao Barroso, 48, began his political life as a leader of the Maoist movement in Lisbon University in the lead-up to the revolution that ended the country’s dictatorship in 1974.

With degrees in law and economic and social science, he researched his PhD in Georgetown University in Washington and became assistant Professor of Law in Lisbon.

In the 1980s, after democracy took hold in Portugal, he joined the centre-right wing Social Democratic party and was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1992 to 1995.

He was influential in promoting the armistice agreement for Angola and independence for East Timor from Indonesia.

He became leader of the opposition in 1999 and became prime minister when his party won a slender majority of seats in the March 2002 general election with promises to cut corporate and income tax, lower government spending, boost growth and attract investment.

The nation of 10 million people that joined the EU with Spain in 1986 has had better than average growth but is still at about 80% of the EU’s average GDP per capita. Growth slowed in 2001 and 2002 and the budget deficit exceeded the 3% allowed under the EU’s Growth and Stability Pact.

As a result Mr Barroso introduced stringent cutbacks that caused considerable hardship but succeeded in reducing the government’s budget deficit for the past two years.

This, along with his stance on the Iraq war, has made him unpopular in Portugal. He offered to host the meeting of US President George W Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar on the Azores before the Iraq invasion.

Fluent in English and French he is softly spoken and has a low profile. Not known as a communicator in a country that does not put a premium on transparency and communication, he has improved his public speaking skills over the past two years.

Diplomatic and with a reputation for being strong when he needs to be, he is seen more as a technocrat than a charismatic leader or warm person.