Ambition and commitment

“My party is Europe”. He reiterated it several times over the past few days. José Manuel Barroso, EU Commission outgoing President, on Wednesday September 16 was re-elected for a five-year term by the European Parliament with a victory of 382 votes (out of 736 – 718 voting MEPs). 219 MEPs voted against him amid 117 abstensions. In his acceptance-speech the 53-year-old Portuguese politician declared: “Honorable members, I convey my warm thanks for your enormous confidence. “This is a signal from the European Parliament that it is fully involved in the ambitious program I have for the next five years… I want to work with all political groups that have signed up for a Europe of freedom and solidarity”. After the voting session Barroso met journalists accredited in Strasbourg for a press conference.Over half of MEPs voted for you, including several euroscepticals, while you were severely critized by a few political groups. What did you learn after confronting the Euro-Chamber? “I learnt that Europe is difficult and that the Parliament is more disunited than it was in the past. That’s why it’s important to continue stepping up consensus. It’s the only way to guide the European community. I believe that a strong pro-European majority is necessary. I will work on these bases with the EU Parliament and Council. Anti-European extremism and populism are the enemies of this strategy”.In the EP the People’s Party backed you up. Liberal-democrats and the Conservatives voted for you. What is your response to the criticism raised by the Socialists and by the political groups that didn’t vote for you? “I presented a Europeanist program. I am open to dialogue and cooperation with everyone, following the principle of transparency”.Will your commission be right or left-winged?“I disagree with this approach. The Commission cannot take a side since it is at the service of integration. And united Europe is a cross-party project”.After the appointment of the EU Council in June and the EP vote, now it’s the turn to nominate the Commissioners’ college. Will this cause a slowdown in your activity considering the urgency of measures to counter the crisis and the climate change? “There won’t be a slowdown. In fact, a leadership vacancy was also prevented. After the informal EU summit of September 17, Saturday 19 I’ll be in Ireland to discuss the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Preparations for the forthcoming G20 will follow suit. We won’t waste time”.Your election took place following the procedures envisaged in the Nice Treaty, while in the short run the new Lisbon Treaty could come into force, which provides for a different system as relates to the formation of the commissioners’ college… “In June EU heads of government and State unanimously proposed my name for a second mandate and they did so according to the Treaty currently in force. The EU is a community based on law. A Treaty that is yet to be enforced cannot be referred to. I am in favor of Lisbon, however it’s necessary to wait for the vote of October 2 in Ireland. Then more time will be needed. The mandate of the Commission in office expires October 30 and the Lisbon Treaty won’t come into force by November 1st. It is necessary to proceed following the regulations in force in that moment. In the meantime I will undertake informal contacts with the governments tasked with naming the new commissioners”.You said you want to learn from past mistakes. What were you referring to? “When the EU is successful governments take the merit for it, while Europe is held responsible for national problems. We cannot solve all the problems here in Strasbourg and in Brussels. That’s why it’s important to step up cooperation among EU institutions, governments and populations”. The five-year program and climate actionOn September 15 Barroso discussed the priorities of the five-year plan 2009-2014 and addressed several issues including the ongoing recession and the new rules for financial markets, climate change and the EU’s role after Kyoto, social cohesion, energy, simplification of procedures and regulations, and “re-shaping the EU budget”. As relates to the recession, the Portuguese politician claimed, “the crisis is not over for those who have lost their jobs”. He equally conveyed his intention to create a Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Civil Liberties; for Internal Affairs and Immigration, and finally a new Commissioner for Climate Action.