By Bruno Waterfield - 13th July 2004
EU justice chief Antonio Vitorino will not put himself forward for the leadership of the Portuguese centre-left.
Unlike several of his colleagues the European commissioner has opted to stay in his post until the end of his five year term in November.
As the current EU executive winds down towards an October 31 expiry date other commissioners, Anna Diamantopoulou, Michel Barnier and Erkki Liikanen have moved back into national politics.
Vitorino was tipped to take a key leadership role in the Portuguese Socialists after the resignation of its secretary-general Ferro Rodrigues.
But Vitorino, hopeful of a return ticket to Brussels despite the centre-right complexion of the Lisbon government, is staying put – for now.
“I have decided not to present myself as candidate to the position of secretary-general of the Portuguese Socialist Party,” he said in statement.
“I consider that I should fulfil my mandate as commissioner until the end.”
Rodrigues stepped down after Portugal’s current Socialist President Jorge Sampaio failed to call a general election following the resignation of Lisbon’s Prime Minister José Durão Barroso to take up the post of commission president.
Sampaio’s decision to ask right-wing Lisbon mayor Pedro Santana Lopes to step into Barroso’s shoes angered those on the centre-left spoiling for an electoral battle.
Vitorino claims a “very difficult and thought-out decision” involving strong personal factors for his decision.
“There are things which I believe that I can do, and others for which I consider not to have the necessary aptitude or motivation,” he said.
“These reasons are so personal that I understand that they are not even easy to explain.”
The Portuguese commissioner is instead reaffirming his willingness to cooperate with his political comrades “as a simple party member, in everything that my contribution may be considered useful”.
Sources close to Vitorino hint that he may have “candidature fatigue” after a bruising bid to become president of the European Commission.
His name has also been mentioned as possible successor to Sampaio.
“Whatever he will be doing it is unlikely to involve either the word candidate or president,” said a source close to Vitorino.
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