By Martin Banks - 6th July 2009
This is a very complicated procedure
Heather Grabbe
Sweden's EU presidency has confirmed that parliament will not vote next week on the presidency of the commission.
The move follows the decision of at least three of the assembly's main political groups, the Socialists, Liberal Democrats and Greens, to oppose such a vote on 14 July.
It means commission president José Manuel Barroso, who most still see as the overwhelming favourite for a second term, will have to 'sweat it out' a bit longer before his nomination is confirmed by MEPs.
The Swedish move has pre-empted a meeting on Thursday by group leaders, the conference of presidents, who were due to decide if there should be a vote in Strasbourg on the commission presidency.
It buys more time to those, in particular the Socialists, who oppose a Barroso second term to come forward with a credible alternative candidate.
However, the EPP group, backed by European Conservatives and Reformists, favour a quick decision, saying any delay could jeopardise the EU decision-making process.
If all goes well for Barroso, he faces one and possibly two confirmation hearings in front of parliament.
Barroso won widespread backing of EU member states at the recent EU summit in Brussels but it yet to convince many MEPs that he is the right man to lead the EU for another term.
Sweden, which assumed the presidency on 1 July, also favours a swift decision.
"This is a very complicated procedure," said Heather Grabbe, director of the Open Society Institute, "and it does not increase the credibility of the commission in the eyes of the public."
Meanwhile, the groups will also use next week's plenary to sort out the chairmanships of the various committees.
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