Parliament set to delay Barroso vote [fr] [de]

Background

José Manuel Barroso won unanimous backing from EU heads of state and government at the 18-19 June summit for a second five-year mandate at the head of the European Commission (EurActiv 19/06/09). However the EU leaders did not formalize his nomination, awaiting further negotiations with European parliament group leaders. 

The newly elected European parliament meets for its first session on 14 July and will elect its president on the same day. The European People’s party, the political family of Barroso, is pushing for a vote in support of Barroso in plenary on 15 July. 

EU leaders instructed the Czech and Swedish EU Presidencies to start negotiations with political groups in Parliament to see whether a majority of MEPs are ready to support him. The Swedish presidency has invited group leaders to Stockholm on 7 July, for consultations to decide if a vote on Barroso is possible on 15 July. 

The Swedish prime minister Frederik Reinfeldt strongly insists on re-appointing Barroso as soon as possible, arguing that in a time of crisis, the Union needs a Commission president who is fully in power (See Swedish EU Presidency LinksDossier). 

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Guy Verhofstadt, the new leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), said his group will oppose holding a vote on Barroso's re-appointment during the Parliament's opening plenary session on 15 July (EurActiv 25/06/09). 

The former Belgian prime minister, who was elected unopposed as ALDE leader on Tuesday, said he and his group will "not accept timetables imposed on Parliament," dealing a blow to the centre-right EPP group and the Swedish EU Presidency who were pushing for a quick decision on the new Commission President.

Earlier, the Greens group had announced that they would oppose a July vote on Barroso, joining calls made on 18 June by the socialists. 

Unless positions change, it therefore appears that there will be no majority for putting a vote on the Parliament's agenda when the Assembly's political group leaders meet on 9 July to discuss the issue.

Socialists claim victory  

Group leader Martin Schulz welcomed Verhofstadt's announcement, claiming a "a victory on blocking the fast-track reappointment of Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso."  

"EU ministers, the Parliament’s right wing and Mr Barroso himself made a serious misjudgement when they assumed that a vote could be rushed through this month," Schulz said in a statement. "It is clear from this victory that they cannot take decisions alone in this Parliament. They need support from us and from other pro-European forces," Schulz said.

Daniel Cohn-Bendit, leader of the Greens group, said nothing different. "The Greens remind the Swedish Presidency that there is no European Parliament majority in favour of a rush vote to give Barroso a second mandate as Commission President," he said. "Forcing the issue on the table in July would result in a negative start for the Swedish Presidency. There must be no vote on the Commission President before Lisbon is ratified."

Political group leaders meeting

At the 9 July meeting of political group leaders, each vote will weigh according to the number of MEPs in each political faction. Joseph Daul, the centre-right leader of the EPP group, can count on 264 votes as well as on the support of the newly formed anti-federalist group led by the British Conservatives which has 56 MEPs (EurActiv 23/06/09). But this total of 320 MEPS falls short of the simple majority of 368 votes required to back Barroso. 

The bottom line, Verhofstad said, is that the ALDE's decision to postpone the vote was a position of principle which was not related with the trade-offs between European Parliament committee chairs or shared presidency that usually take place in return for political backings.

Verhofstadt’s predecessor, Graham Watson, is the ALDE's official candidate to chair the European parliament (EurActiv 08/01/09), but his election is now highly unlikely under the present circumstances. The EPP is indeed certain to punish the Liberals for delaying Barroso's re-appointment by opposing Watson's candidacy.

Parliament shows muscle to EU member states

Verhofstadt further insisted that EU heads of states officially endorse Barroso before a vote in parliament can take place, sending the ball back to the Swedish EU presidency, which would have to initiate a written procedure to get official approval for the incumbent Commission president. 

But it is highly unlikely that Stockholm would risk doing so unless there is certainty that the vote would pass, sources in Parliament told EurActiv.

The Liberals’ move will certainly raise eyebrows in European capitals but Verhofstadt said he would "try to fully play" his new role, as Parliament gains political weight vis-à-vis the member states. 

"The stronger the European Parliament, the more democratic and transparent the whole of the EU," the Liberals said in a statement.

This position is in line with socialist leader Martin Schulz, who insisted that the Parliament role was not to "rubber-stamp" the Council’s decisions. 

Barroso to work hard over summer break 

The liberals also said they wanted Barroso to present a detailed programme for the next five years, which would address the financial crisis in particular, and hold an open discussion on it with Parliament.

The rather brief letter which Barroso presented to EU leaders at their June summit, would not be enough for Parliament, Verhofstadt stressed(EurActiv 18/06/09).

If he bows to the pressure, this would oblige the Commission President to engage into negotiations with the Parliament's political groups, and pay attention to their programmes for the next five years, a parliamentary source said, adding that the Parliament expected to emerge strengthened from this exercise. A Barroso vote could then be expected in September or October, after the Lisbon Treaty re-vote in Ireland, the source added.

At one moment, Verhofstadt had been seen as a possible alternative candidate to Barroso (EurActiv 10/06/09). But as an insider told EurActiv, he apparently did not want Barroso's job, but wanted to be "his boss".

Verhofstadt keeping the anti-federalists out 

Finally, Verhofstadt said he would strive to build a "pro-European coalition" in the European Parliament. This appears like a major shift from former leader Graham Watson, who had called for an "ideological coalition" between the ALDE and the EPP in the hope of obtaining the Parliament's co-presidency.

"We are not going to create quick, hasty majorities, just to divide posts," Verhofstadt said, effectively ruling out such kinds of political trade-offs.

The ALDE also appears to take a strong political stance in isolating the European Parliament's newest group, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), spearheaded by the British Conservatives. EPP leader Joseph Daul recently admitted that his group was counting on this group's support for holding a vote on Barroso at the July plenary.

But this scenario was also ruled out by the former Belgian Premier. "Verhofstadt doesn’t want an alliance of EPP with the Eurosceptic group," an ALDE source told EurActiv. 

Socialists' support in the balance

The Liberals are also confident that the socialist will not change position on the Barroso vote during political group consultations in the next few days, the source added.

The Socialists were expected to conclude a 'technical agreement' with the EPP to share the Parliament's Presidency during the next five years in return for backing Barroso. But socialist leader Martin Schulz has preferred delaying that decision until the second Irish referendum.

"I have to ask myself whether I can implement a better social-democratic policy by imposing conditions on Mr Barroso," he told a press conference last week. "Whether we would vote for him is an open question," he admitted.

Verhofstadt insisted that the Parliament should come up with a European anti-crisis strategy, and announced that he will present his own views on 8 July. As former ALDE leader Graham Watson had indicated, a super-committee for tackling the global meltdown could be established, and ALDE could claim to chair it, a source said.

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