Barroso's nominatie voor opvolging Prodi door regeringsleiders bekrachtigd (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The Portuguese prime minister has been formally selected by EU leaders to head the European Commission following a short half-hour meeting in Brussels on Tuesday evening (29 June).

José Manuel Durao Barroso, a 49-year old lawyer, was chosen with little fuss by member states just over a week after a summit which saw the issue cause a power tussle between France and the UK.

"I am very very happy and proud that my appointment has been made by consensus", said a smiling Mr Barroso in a press conference afterwards.

He added, "I have been a long-time believer in the European project".

Over the past week, it emerged that Mr Barroso, who is a committed atlanticist, comes from a small country taking part in all the core euro policies and does not have too federalist a tag, is acceptable to all.

His late entry into the race came after more high-profile candidates such as the leaders of Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria did not make the criteria (set by different factions of member states).

A little bit of colour

However, Mr Barroso will have to fight hard to rise above the feeling that he is a basic compromise candidate and no more - something he countered during the press conference by repeatedly saying that he had been chosen by consensus.

He has already received negative press for being dull and uncharismatic.

However, during the press conference he worked hard to charm his listeners responding jokingly to one who asked whether his name must always be written in full that the 'Durao' can be dropped.

"You can also say José Barroso - I will not be angry", he joked.

On his political background - he was a student of Maoism for a time - he said there was only a choice of two political movements at his university: communism that was pro-soviet or communist that was pro-China.

Tight monetary belt

Since he became leader in 2002, he is known both within his country and outside for imposing touch budget restrictions after Portugal breached the rules governing the euro.

He is also well-known for his pro-American views and he organised a summit on the eve of the Iraq war involving the US President. Portugal also put some troops in Iraq.

"Our planet will be much better if Europe and the United States work together and worse off if this doesn't happen", he said of the transatlantic relationship last year.

Small countries tend to look favourably on him because, as the prime minister of Slovakia, Mikulás Dzurinda, put it before the meeting, he will understand the problems of small countries better.

Next hurdle, the parliament

The next hurdle for Mr Barroso is the European Parliament which has to approve his nomination by a simple majority of the 732 MEPs on 22 July.

While he can be assured of the support of the largest group - the European People's Party - to which he belongs, it is not yet clear about the others.

The outgoing leader of the socialists Enrique Baron Crespo has condemned Mr Barroso as "neither sufficiently European, nor sufficiently social".

The leader of the greens, Daniel Cohn-Bendit said, "We are very sceptical about the appointment of Mr Barroso because his ideas on Europe are too much linked to the Americans".

If the Parliament were to reject him, leaders would have to go back to the drawing board.