Euro Parliament ratifies EC president

The European Parliament has ratified Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso as the next president of the European Commission.

Mr Barroso was ratified by 413 votes to 251 this afternoon.

The Portuguese Premier was supported by the centre-right European People’s Party and the Liberals, but Socialists voted against his candidature, saying he had failed to prove his case on social justice and wasn’t able to stand up to other world leaders and defend EU interests.

The eurosceptic Independence and Democracy grouping, meanwhile, described the European Commission as a rest home for failed domestic politicians.