Barroso appointment 'could create constitutional conflict'

The leader of parliament's Socialist group has warned of a looming "constitutional conflict" over the proposed re-election of commission president José Manual Barroso.

Speaking in parliament on Thursday, Martin Schulz warned member states against "railroading" through Barroso's second term.

Schulz also told a news conference that there was little chance now of a vote being held in parliament on 14 July on a council recommendation that Barroso be allowed to serve another five years in the EU's top post.

The German deputy said the reappointment of Barroso, a former prime minister of Portugal, was being rushed through with "thoroughly unjustified haste".

He said, "This is the wrong time and he is the wrong candidate."

Member states want a decision on Barroso taken as soon as possible, preferably during parliament's first post-election plenary later this month, saying any delay could hinder EU decision-making.

But parliament's political groups are increasingly pressing for the matter to be put on hold, possibly until after the Irish hold their second referendum on the stalled Lisbon treaty.

On Wednesday, new ALDE leader Guy Verhofstadt also said it was unlikely a vote will be taken in July.

Schulz was even more vehement, accused member states of "unreasonably" trying to push through Barroso's re-election.

"Great pressure is being applied to have a vote on this in parliament in July but it has become clear that that is not going to happen," he said.

He added, "I will not assume anything, however and there is still work to be done to build a majority to ensure that there is no vote on Barroso in July."

He said one of the issues the Socialist group wished to clarify was the make-up of the next commission.

"We want to know how many of the portfolios will go to people from the Social Democrat family. This is all the more important given the fact that we are likely to have fewer Social Democrat commissioners next time."

The Socialist group suffered heavy losses in the recent European elections which appears to have sabotaged any ambitions Poul Nyrup Rasmussen may have had for the commission presidency.

Schulz, however, said, "We have had five years of Barroso and a man of his liberal stance is not the man I would like to see lead the EU. This is also the view of the group I lead.

"It is for this reason that I can see a constitutional conflict emerging on this issue between member states and parliament."

Group leaders, including Schulz, will meet Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt new holder of the EU's six-month presidency, in Stockholm on Monday to discuss the issue.

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