Grote twijfels binnen Europees Parlement over geschiktheid Buttiglione als eurocommissaris Justitie (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - MEPs in the Civil Liberties Committee in the European Parliament have rejected Italy's proposed new Commissioner - just weeks before he is due to take up his job.

In a vote on Monday (11 October), Rocco Buttiglione was voted down by MEPs from across the political spectrum - the first time this has ever happened to a Commission nominee.

Mr Buttiglione fell foul of the Euro-deputies following his comments, during his Parliament audition last week, on homosexuality and his traditional views on the role of women in society.

On Monday, the Italian, who is to be in charge of one of the European Commission's most high profile portfolios over the next five years, was turned down by MEPs twice.

Recommendation to Borrell

A compromise solution, supported by the Socialists, suggesting that the conservative politician be kept in the Commission but be given a different portfolio was rejected by a majority.

MEPs then went on to reject him outright for the position as European Commissioner.

"It is now up to Mr Barroso [the incoming Commission president] to reflect on the deep unease about some of the commissioners-designate", said Socialist MEPs Hannes Swoboda and Jan Marinus Wiersma in a joint statement.

The Committee will make its recommendation to reject Mr Buttiglione to the president of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell, on Tuesday.

However, a final decision has to be taken later this week by the different political groups.

Knock-on effect?

Some MEPs are already wondering if there will be a knock-on effect - making other committees think twice about their nominees or whether power politics between the different political families will come into play.

It is thought that Commissioner Laszlo Kovacs, a socialist who is to be in charge in energy, could be targeted by conservatives.

"I realise this is politics but it would be a shame if, merely because of politics, good people get in trouble in the confirmations simply because of a knock on effect", the Civil Liberties committee vice-president, Greek Socialist Stavros Lambrinidis, told EUobserver.

The political group leaders are due to meet incoming Commission president José Manuel Durao Barroso next week to put their views to him.

Mr Barroso is not under any legal obligation to change his team and MEPs, when they vote in two weeks time, can only vote to reject the whole Commission en masse and not just one person from the team.

"In theory, on the basis of this recommendation, Mr Barroso can think about the composition of his Commission - nothing more than that", said Mr Lambrinidis.

To make matters a little cloudier still, Mr Buttiglione was accepted by the Legal Affairs Committee - which also gave him a separate hearing last week.