It seems increasingly unlikely that José Manuel Barroso will be legally re-nominated as Commission president when EU leaders meet at the end of the week. The uncertainties of Lisbon ratification – and undoubtedly, a desire not to send complacent signals before the second Irish referendum – mean a cautious approach is the order of the day, and Mr Barroso may only be nominated ‘politically’.
As noted by EUObserver in an article on Tuesday, the timing is important for the Parliament: under Lisbon, the Parliament has the official power to ‘elect’ the Commission president (a term already used in the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure) by an absolute majority of more than half of MEPs. In practice, under the current Nice Treaty, it only ‘confirms’ the choice of EU leaders (by a simple majority of those voting).
These subtle differences matter: the Parliament’s growth in powers has been built on stretching the rules to the limit, and sometimes beyond, and exploiting procedural questions to make differences in policy (and in some cases, appointments). With new powers of co-decision, increased scrutiny of foreign policy, and consultation over the choice of President of the European Council, the Parliament will continue in this vein if and when Lisbon is ratified. It will also build upon its newly-found powers to veto implementing measures under comitology. Keep reading…