Mark Mardell's Euroblog

Barroso squares up to Berlusconi

• Mark Mardell
• 23 Apr 08, 09:11 AM

For the first time ever, the president of the European Commission has carried out a reshuffle.

The powers exist under the Amsterdam treaty but until President Barroso promoted his transport commissioner, Jacques Barrot, to the justice job, it had never been done before.

Franco Frattini, who had been an energetic justice commissioner, had taken leave to campaign in the Italian election and has now landed a bigger job which will ensure many reappearances in Brussels.

He's going to be the new Italian foreign minister.

But Barroso got fed up with Berlusconi shilly-shallying around and not coming forward with a name and has appointed the French transport commissioner who'd been standing in.

This leaves the Italians with transport, not exactly a prime brief.

Suggestions they want it to deal with the Alitalia crisis are wide of the mark: the rules are pretty clear on state subsidies.

Rocco's precedent

But there is another reason for Barroso's move.

Last time Mr Berlusconi's first choice, Rocco Buttiglione - with his extremely conservative views on homosexuality - caused the whole commission to be rejected.

The names of similarly conservative pals, particularly those on immigration, were swirling around again.

Indeed, I am in Strasbourg at the moment and one usually reliable source seemed convinced Mr Berlusconi would attempt to, in his words, "slap democracy in the face" and re-present Mr Buttiglione.

My source said this time the parliament would be powerless. Without the ability to reject the whole commission, any censure would be meaningless.

"Ridiculous," says a commission source.  But perhaps Mr Barroso is getting his own back on Italy's controversial leader.

They could vote against the candidate but would not be able to use the power to reject the commission.

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