Victory for MPs over anti-gay commissioner
The European Parliament forced a climbdown by European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, who announced he would withdraw his planned new Commission team rather than face a humiliating ‘No’ vote in Strasbourg.
Rejection by a majority of MEPs was just an hour away when Mr Barroso changed tack and stopped insisting he was going to keep Italian Rocco Buttiglione as justice and home affairs commissioner.
MEPs thumped their desks, cheered and applauded as they witnessed a rare Commission retreat. Some booed, too, signalling their anger at Mr Barroso’s refusal until the last minute to heed their warnings.
As negotiations got underway on a new commission, Ireland’s nominee Charlie McCreevy, could lose his Internal Market portfolio and be asked to take on Competition in the expected shake-up.
Leaving the parliament in Strasbourg yesterday the former Finance Minister refused to speculate on a new portfolio, and would only say: “I am happy enough where I am.”
The current commission will remain in office until their replacements are finalised, including Ireland’s David Byrne. He was due to begin working as a special envoy with the World Health Organisation in Geneva next week.
The commissioners, due to take over in Brussels on Monday, were facing certain defeat from the parliament after the 200 Socialists united for the first time in their history and refused to support them. With the exception of Britain, member states placed little pressure on MEPs to change their minds either.
Mr Barroso, adopting a completely different tone with the Parliament yesterday morning from the previous day, told the 732 MEPs that the past few days had shown that the parliament had a vital role to play in the governing of the European project.
“You can count on it that I can always offer you a loyal and constructive cooperation for the good of Europe,” said the Commission President.
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