Commissie buigt voor het Europees Parlement: een nieuw tijdperk? (en)

EUOBSERVER / STRASBOURG - The feeling in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday (27 October) was of a democratic institution sitting back to enjoy the results of having flexed its muscles.

Amid the flush of success, there was also a mild sense of disbelief: the 732-member parliament, with its disparate political groups from around the EU, had taken on the member states and won.

A combined front of socialists, greens, communists and many Liberals - though the front was not put to a test by vote - forced incoming Commission President José Manuel Durao Barroso to go back to the drawing board on his team of Commissioners.

Several MEPs have characterised it as a turning point for the European assembly.

Turning point

Because although the Parliament forced the Santer Commission to resign in 1999, it is the first time a Commission has been rejected before it has even taken office - so it represents a direct challenge to member states, who, until now, have strongly guarded their right to send whomever they want to Brussels.

Martin Schulz, leader of the Socialists and among the most vocal critics of the Barroso Commission called it "a decision of the utmost significance for the EU and indeed for its future".

"The voice of democracy in Europe just made itself heard in every national capital and beyond", said liberal leader Graham Watson.

Meanwhile, the leader of the centre-right EPP, Hans-Gert Poettering, whose group was strongly in support of Mr Barroso, conceded, "Politics is a process. Everyone must realise that the European Parliament enjoys more power and influence now than anyone would have imagined possible a decade ago."

Parliamentary Democracy?

But is it really a victory for parliamentary democracy as some have claimed? Part of the answer will depend on what Mr Barroso brings back to the parliament by way of a solution.

Will there just be a minor change - just removing the controversial Italian Commissioner Rocco Buttiglione - or will it encompass the five other Commissioners that have come in for strong criticism: Denmark's Mariann Fischer Boel, Latvia's Ingrida Udre, Greece's Stavros Dimas, Hungary's Laszlo Kovacs and the Netherlands' Neelie Kroes?

Already there have been indications from diplomats from some member states that they would like to keep the changes to a minimum.

Some insiders have suggested that in order for a solution to be found - one Commissioner will have to go from each of the three biggest political families in the Europe - the centre-right, the Socialists and the liberals.

According to Andrew Duff, a UK liberal MEP, the extent of the victory will depend on the extent of the reshuffle - although he characterised Wednesday's events as a "success".

Danish MEP Jens-Peter Bonde insists it is not a victory for parliamentary democracy because a solution to the problem will be worked out at prime minister level.

Quality of commissioners

What is undoubtedly a victory is that member states will pay attention to the calibre of politicians that they send to Brussels in the future.

Giovanni Grevi of the think tank, European Policy Centre, said, "This experience will teach a lesson to national governments".

He added that in the future, "it might be of interest" to offer the president designate more than one candidate so that he or she can choose the best from two or three people.

This was something Mr Barroso originally asked for back in July when he was nominated - but EU governments refused his calls.

Winning a battle but not the war?

Marco Incerti from the Centre for European Policy Studies feels that MEPs have "won a great battle".

However, he added "I am not sure they can win the war and even if they should".

He suggested that if the European Parliament were to gain "complete control over the Commission, you would probably see a situation where the member states would leave Brussels to itself".

"It's important that the member states remain engaged", says Mr Incerti.

Technically the power of the European Parliament over the nomination of the Commissioners will not change under the new European Constitution - not due to come into place until at least 2006.

However, in the future, MEPs will be able to raise the spectre of Wednesday's events to try and ensure that they get their way.

They will be able to say "remember what happened in 2004", says Mr Incerti.