MEPs postpone vote on Barroso bid

Mr Barroso's integration agenda is under strain in the current crisis

Euro MPs have blocked Sweden's efforts to get European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso reappointed this month for a new five-year term.

Sweden, as current holder of the EU presidency, is keen to have Mr Barroso in place as soon as possible, saying the EU needs certainty and stability.

He has no rival for the position and has the EU leaders' unanimous support.

But Mr Barroso's centre-right European People's Party (EPP) cannot yet muster a majority in the European Parliament.

The outgoing parliament president, Hans-Gert Poettering, said "we don't see a majority now for the election [of Mr Barroso]".

Mr Poettering, himself a member of the EPP, said "hopefully it will be possible to elect the president of the Commission in September". He was speaking after talks with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.

Parliament flexes muscles

The European Commission president and commissioners cannot be appointed without parliamentary approval.

Both the EPP and the Swedish government had hoped that MEPs would vote on Mr Barroso's candidacy on 15 July. The former Portuguese prime minister's mandate ends in November.

The EPP and Mr Barroso's other conservative allies are the biggest force in the new parliament, but not quite big enough to guarantee him victory.

Mr Barroso's opponents - mostly left-wing and Green MEPs - question his handling of the financial crisis. Some say the Commission was slow to react. They also want the Commission to put more emphasis on jobs and welfare, rather than on competition.

MEPs want discussions with Mr Barroso on his programme for the next five years before a vote goes ahead.

EU leaders gave him their backing only after he had done a similar presentation to them at a Brussels summit last month.