By Bruno Waterfield - 11th August 2004
José Manuel Barroso has announced who will be who in Europe's top policy jobs when the new European Commission president takes the EU's helm this November.
The former Portuguese leader has crafted a “redesigned” executive with a jobs share-out that he hopes will please the EU’s big players, appease smaller states concerned about a European ‘carve-up’ and bring new European countries in on the act.
“Commissioners from new countries have equally important portfolios as commissioners from the 'old' 15 member states. All commissioners will have equal powers… there will be no first and second class commissioners,” Barroso told journalists.
The EU’s ‘big three’ Germany, France and the UK pushed hard for top Brussels economic positions but Barroso, while giving Berlin, Paris and London key posts, has ensured his neutrality by handing plum policy portfolios in competition and the internal market to the Netherlands and Ireland.
Lisbon to push Lisbon
Barroso is putting economic growth at the heart of his new commission.
"We must reinvigorate the Lisbon Strategy, which aims to make Europe the world's most competitive economy," he said.
The centre-right politician is putting his neck on the line to make good on a four-year old pledge made in his native Portugal to put Europe's economy in the world's lead by 2010.
"I will personally chair a group of commissioners who will seek to boost the reform process and give new impetus to Europe's economy," he promised.
Four vice-presidents - and Verhuegen
The new EU executive will see commission vice-presidents increased from two to five, a move creating a new dynamic within key European policy sectors and setting up new “groups of commissioners” to fight the Brussels corner at councils of ministers – key meetings that represent national governments.
Germany’s Günther Verheugen, currently EU enlargement chief, heads up a powerful ‘Enterprise and Industry’ role as vice-president – Berlin’s Brussels choice also chairs groups of commissioners on economic issues.
Included in the German’s brief will be the work of UK commissioner Peter Mandelson. The former British Northern Ireland minister will be part of a ‘group of commissioners for the competitiveness council [of ministers]’ chaired by Verhuegen.
Barroso denies Germany has scooped a ‘super-commissioner’ brief, although Berlin’s EU chief will ‘coordinate’ the work of at least six of his colleagues.
And Verhuegen will be a permanent addition to councils of ministers discussing competition and economic issues.
No 'super commissioners'
Verhuegen’s souped up economics post will fuel fears among some small countries that political equality within the commission’s ‘college’ – the collective decision-making meeting where each EU executive wields one vote will be – will be eroded.
Barroso denies this charge. “I do not want first- and second-class commissioners. All commissioners are equally important. I want my authority to be based on solid team work,” he said.
EU officials insist that in the reshaped commission each policy chief will be strictly equal in the process of collective decision-making. “There will be no delegation of powers to commissioners’ groups,” said a statement.
But Barroso does envisage “work… prepared in advance by thematic groups and task forces” – a development that may see mini-cabinets or policy clusters of commissioners emerge.
Key posts for EU neutrals
French regional commissioner Jacques Barrot returns to Brussels as EU transport chief and a vice president, but while easing Paris pressure for a top post Barroso has denied Jacques Chirac a preferred option of competition.
Some smaller countries has been concerned that the Portuguese leader owed the French president a political debt after Paris swallowed Barroso’s strong pro-US stance on Iraq to back him as EU figurehead.
France has also been involved in bruising clashes between Brussels and Paris over state subsidies to Alstom, France Telecom, and Bull – amongst others.
And Barroso’s appointment of former Dutch transport minister Neelie Kroes as competition commissioner will be welcomed as a neutral choice for the EU enforcement role.
The UK, France and Germany also had their sights on the EU’s internal market job, a key competition watchdog post, but Barroso backed former Irish finance minister Charlie McCreevy for the job – a move that will play up to a desired reputation for independence.
New EU, key jobs
Barroso’s line-up rewards new EU countries, many of which have had commissioners ‘shadowing’ key commission posts in Brussels since May 1.
Estonia’s Siim Kallas is a new EU commission vice-president taking outgoing UK commissioner Neil Kinnock’s anti-corruption job as commissioner for ‘Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud’. “I call him "Mr Triple A,” said Barroso.
Other middle-ranking jobs go to new EU women: Poland’s Danuta Hübner as ‘Commissioner for Regional Policy’ and Lithuania’s Dalia Grybauskaite as ‘Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget’.
Both posts will be in the political eye of a storm as Europe gears up for a battle this winter over an enlarged EU’s spending budget for 2007 to 2013.
And as Europe braces for a series of key referendums on an EU constitution, Barroso puts another woman, his commission has record eight females, in a senior political role.
Campaigns, justice and reshuffles
Swedish environment commissioner Margot Wallström returns as vice-president with a brief to sell Europe to its citizens.
“To communicate better on what we do and counter the Euro-apathy which the EU faces, I have created a new role,” said Barroso. “This will mean reaching beyond the EU institutions to the national parliaments and the EU's citizens.”
Newcomer to the commission Rocco Buttiglione, Italy’s former Europe minister, also scoops a vice-presidency as EU justice chief – security will be a priority.
Barroso is also reserving his “right” to reshuffle the European executive’s top table after an EU constitution kicks in after 2006.
Spain's commissioner Joaquin Almunia remains in the important economic and monetary affairs job until he will be replaced by Javier Solana.
Europe's foreign policy chief enters the EU executive as vice-president and European 'foreign minister' in 2006 or 2007 under a new European constitution.
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.