Friday

29th Mar 2024

MEPs approve Barroso as Commission head

  • "I am delighted, honoured and proud", Mr Barroso said after the result of the vote was announced (Photo: European Commission)

Former Portuguese Prime Minister José Manuel Durão Barroso has been elected the next President of the European Commission by a majority of MEPs.

Mr Barroso was supported by 413 MEPs while 251 voted against him and 44 abstained.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

"I am delighted, honoured and proud that the European parliament has confirmed my appointment", a delighted Mr Barroso said after the results of the vote were announced.

"I am extremely proud to be Portuguese".

He went on to describe himself as a person "who can build bridges" and has promised to be "an honest broker".

"The level of very strong support from members of the European Parliament from various political families is a good signal for the future and for our co-operation".

Mr Barroso said he hopes to announce the composition of the next Commission "by not later than the week of 23 August" but indicated he will not bow down to pressure from the larger member states.

"Portfolios will not be distributed according to nationality but according to competence", he promised.

"It is important to have an independent, strong Commission", he stressed. "I shall defend the common interests of Europe. I will try to establish a balance between all member states...dignity is the same, quite apart from size".

Eight women commissioners

He also said he would do his best to convince governments to submit women for the Commission posts adding also that there would be separate commissioners for budget and audit.

"I will do my best to get eight women out of the 24 Commissioners", he said. "I think it is only fair to get a more balanced Commission".

Prior to the vote, the centre-right EPP, the right-wing UEN and the majority of the centrist Liberals and Democrats alliance declared their support for his nomination.

The Socialists were split, with leader Martin Schultz declaring before the vote that the majority of the group would not be voting for him while the Green / European Free Alliance, the left-wing GUE and the majority of the eurosceptic ID said they would not be supporting him.

Despite the opposition from some of the groups, Mr Barroso expressed his intention to work both with those that supported him and also those that did not.

Ukraine slams grain trade restrictions at EU summit

Restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU could translate into military losses in their bid to stop Russia's war, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned EU leaders during their summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Difficult talks ahead on financing new EU defence spending

With the war in Ukraine showing no signs of ending any time soon, EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (21 and 22 March) to discuss how to boost the defence capabilities of Ukraine and of the bloc itself.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us