Commissie-Barroso krijgt ruime steun van Europees Parlement (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The new Commission has won strong backing from the European Parliament meaning the EU will come out of its current legal limbo on Monday.

MEPs on Thursday (18 November) voted by a large majority - 449 in favour; 149 against with 82 abstentions - in favour of President José Manuel Durao Barroso and his 24-person team.

The number of votes in favour was more than the original backing Mr Barroso received from MEPs in July to become head of the Commission.

The result means that the Commission can finally start its five-year term - three weeks late.

Welcoming the vote, Mr Barroso said "I am extremely happy with this result".

European Parliament President Josep Borrell said that it was a "significant milestone" for European democracy.

For the past five weeks, Mr Barroso has been involved in a cat and mouse game with the European Parliament to try and secure a majority among MEPs after the furore caused by comments made the original Italian Commissioner Rocco Buttiglione.

The price of votes

He was wrong-footed at the end of October and had to withdraw his team in the face of rejection by MEPs.

This meant that MEPs had effectively muscled in on member states' jealously guarded right to send whomever they like to Brussels.

They are now determined to see this turned into real political power. They overwhelmingly - 478 in favour; 84 against; and 98 abstentions - voted in favour of a resolution that would give them more power over the Brussels executive.

The resolution, which Mr Barroso said he would "examine closely", calls on the Commission President to either ask a Commissioner to resign if Parliament withdraws confidence, or to justify why not to MEPs.

It also says that if there is a reshuffle of portfolios in the Commission or if a new Commissioner is appointed by member states, then they cannot officially start their duties until they have had a hearing by MEPs.

This would represent a substantial shift in the balance of power between the three main European institutions - the Parliament, the Commission and the Council.

"Europe can only be built if we are guided by the spirit of compromise", conceded Mr Barroso.

Testing the executive

Buoyed up by their victory, several MEPs made references to the power shift. Leader of the Socialists Martin Schulz said "it's our duty to test the executive".

"We will insist that, if necessary, you come and have a question and answer session with us", said leader of the centre-right group Hans-Gert Pöttering.

Meanwhile, the liberal leader Graham Watson said that a parliament without the ability to censure would be a "paper tiger democracy".

Weeks of negotiation to come

Over the coming weeks, both the Commission and the Parliament will try and work out the fine-print of the resolution to come up with a new agreement between the two institutions.

"It's a good basis for negotiations" said Mr Barroso - however it is doubtful whether Parliament will get all the new powers it wants such as being able to hold a plenary vote on a replacement Commissioner.