"As mentioned before, president Barroso intends to give the Justice, Freedom and Security portfolio, which used to be under the jurisdiction of deputy president Frattini, to deputy president Jacques Barrot and to give the Transport portfolio, currently under the jurisdiction" of Barrot, to Antonio Tajani, designated by the new Italian Government to be a member of the EU Executive. The official statement, confirming what had been informally said by José Manuel Barroso in April, arrived this morning. As Franco Frattini resigned from the EU Commission, the Portuguese president opted for a different sharing of portfolios, giving the important delegation for security and justice to the French MEP. Antonio Tajani, who so far had been a People’s Party MEP in Strasbourg, will be responsible for Transport. To fully take possession of his powers, he will have to pass an audition with the European Parliament and the Parliament voting. He will stay in office, as the rest of the EU Executive, until October 31st 2009. In addition, Barroso congratulated the Lithuanian and Latvian Parliaments because yesterday, the day before the Feast of Europe, they ratified the Lisbon Treaty, so that it has now been approved by 13 countries.
