European Parliament to back new commission

Political leaders at the European Parliament declared victory today and said they would give their backing to the new executive under Jose Manuel Barroso after the incoming EC chief presented his reshuffled team.

Socialist leader Martin Schulz, who led opposition to Barroso’s team a month ago, said he could accept the reworked 24 member team, which sat in silence as the political leaders of the three major groups in parliament said they would back Barroso.

The confirmation vote in Strasbourg will be held tomorrow.

Barroso was forced to remove his executive for its confirmation vote on October 27 after a majority of MEPs said they would veto his team if he did not withdraw the nomination of Italian Rocco Buttiglione.

At issue were comments made by candidate justice commissioner Buttiglione, who called homosexuality “a sin” during his confirmation hearing and made controversial comments about the role of women.

“There have been considerable changes, changes in the right direction,” Schulz said, but added a political threat to his group’s support, which drew widespread boos from the conservative benches in the chamber.

“We still want it to be possible for commissioners to resign if this Parliament calls for it at some stage … if you don’t take all that on board, then remember October 2004, because the whole thing could repeat itself,” said Schulz.

That threat was backed by Liberal Democrat leader Graham Watson, who said that while his group was “on balance … satisfied” with the new team, he warned Barroso that “we expect that if during your term the Parliament withdraws its confidence from any of its commissioners … you will come before this House”.

Backing was also offered by the Parliament’s biggest party, the centre-right European People’s Party.

“The EPP group will support this commission with a very large majority, we will express our support,” said party leader Hans-Gert Poettering.

The incoming EC president made a last appeal to the 732 member chamber, acknowledging that he had to change his team under pressure from the Parliament.

“You have an opportunity to give strong support to my team, I’m in your hands. It’s up to you to confirm my commission,” Barroso said. “I have listened to you carefully. In order to respond to your demands, I have made the right and necessary changes to the team.”

The reworked EU executive was likely to get the needed simple majority of votes cast from the parliament after the successful hearings of three commission candidates earlier this week.

The expected confirmation vote will allow Barroso’s team to take power at the EU head office of the 25-nation bloc on Monday for a five-year term.

MEPs led by the Socialists had demanded Buttiglione be dropped from the executive over his remarks, while conservatives demanded that the Hungarian candidate, former Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs, be shuffled.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Franco Frattini was named as a replacement for Buttiglione, and during his hearing this week, he pledged as Justice Commissioner to promote policies of tolerance and support the rights of gays and ethnic minorities.

Kovacs was moved from the energy to the taxation portfolio by Barroso after a previous parliamentary hearing cast doubt on his competence for the job.

The Latvian government also replaced its much-criticised nominee Ingrida Udre, replacing her with Andris Piebalgs, who was picked to become energy commissioner.