Barroso reticent on Buttiglione
By Honor Mahony
Incoming European Commission President José Manuel Durão Barroso appears to have withdrawn his full support from the controversial future Italian Commissioner.
At a meeting in Dublin on Monday (18 October), Mr Barroso refused to repeat an earlier statement that Rocco Buttiglione was "perfectly fit" for the post of Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner, according to the Irish Times.
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"I cannot at this stage make any specific comment about a specific member of the Commission", said Mr Barroso.
Mr Barroso’s reticence was also relayed via his spokeswoman in Brussels.
"Mr Barroso continues to be confident that at the end of this process, his team can receive the approval of the European Parliament", said Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, who refused to clarify whether this would include Mr Buttiglione and his current portfolio.
The Italian Commissioner, a conservative Catholic, has hardly left the news lately following a series of controversial comments on gays, women and marriage, and single mothers.
His nomination has already been rejected by a Committee in the European Parliament – and Socialists and Liberal MEPs are now demanding that, at the very least, Mr Buttiglione is given a new portfolio.
A sweetener
According to Parliament sources, there are a few options on the table.
One would be make sure that issues infringing on Article 13 of the Treaty, which deals with discrimination based on sex, religion and sexual orientation, do not fall in Mr Buttiglione's remit.
This could then be coupled by the Commission bringing forward another directive on anti-discrimination, say some parliament insiders.
However, according to one senior MEP, this would be the "least satisfactory" option as Mr Buttiglione would still be under constant scrutiny for everything he said for the next five years.
Another option, which would gain greater support from liberals and left MEPs, would be a direct swap of portfolios.
One name that has cropped up for such an exchange would be with French Commissioner Jacques Barrot, who is to be in charge of transport. Both men belong to the same centre-right political family.
While the centre-right EPP in the Parliament has been fully supportive of Mr Buttiglione, the Socialists and Liberals have indicated that they would probably vote against the European Commission on 27 October if Mr Barroso does not take any action against the Italian.
However, he will have to have the support of member states to do this. So far, only Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson has publicly spoken out against Mr Buttiglione.