Spanning EP-stemming inzake Commissie-Barroso bereikt kookpunt (en)

EUOBSERVER / STRASBOURG - Never has the vote of each single MEP mattered quite so much.

The corridors of the European Parliament in Strasbourg are alive with speculation and a nervous energy not usually associated with this staid institution as everyone waits for the crucial vote on the new European Commission on Wednesday.

At every corner and in every coffee bar, all that can be heard is endless counting and re-counting of various MEPs prospective votes to see if incoming Commission President José Manuel Durao Barroso will get the majority that he requires for his team to take up office on Monday (1 November).

Behind the scenes, meanwhile, the phones are hopping as leaders of the various political groups try to see exactly where their MEPs - down to the last one - stand.

The Greens (42), the leftists (41) and the eurosceptics (37) are expected to keep pretty closed ranks and vote no.

According to parliamentary sources, 185 of the 200 Socialists are also against the Commission.

However, those voting in favour of the Commission are running a tight ship, as well.

The vast majority of the centre-right EPP (268) are expected to vote for Mr Barroso and his team.

However, there is still uncertainty about where the British Conservatives and eurosceptic Czech ODS stand - the two parties belong to a separate wing in the group.

Sources say that the Conservatives - there are 28 of them - are extremely divided with several considering voting no. Leader of the EPP, Hans-Gert Pöttering, has been knocking on individual MEPs' doors to try and get them to toe the group line.

The other group entirely in favour of the Commission is the small nationalist UEN group (27) - but these are expected uniformly to vote yes.

Much of the attention is focusing on the Liberals (88) - who could swing the vote either way.

Although the Liberal leadership has remained relatively neutral so far, the group had an internal vote on Tuesday night - which saw 50 vote against, 23 vote for and 5 abstain.

The price of abstaining

To get elected on Wednesday, the Barroso team need a simple majority of votes cast.

If some MEPs abstain, these votes will not be counted. What will be keenly watched is who exactly abstains and who is not present at all for the vote.

Which ever way it goes, the vote is expected to be extremely tight - and both a yes with a tiny majority or a no would bring their own set of specific problems with it.

However, late Tuesday evening, rumours continued to fly around the parliament that the vote may be postponed - either until later this week or until next month.