European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Thursday risked provoking an institutional crisis in the EU by defying calls from members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to dump Rocco Buttiglione, an outspoken opponent of gay and women's rights, as justice and civil liberties commissioner.
Armed with a half apology from Buttiglione for any offence he might have caused gay people and women, Barroso effectively challenged his critics within the European parliament to have the guts to vote him and his entire 24-strong team out of office this Wednesday -- two days before the signing of the EU's new constitutional treaty.
The new president, asserting his authority by taking personal charge of the EU's non-discrimination policies and assuming powers to sack incompetent or corrupt commissioners, made plain he was counting on splits among his opponents and abstentions to win an "absolutely convincing" majority next week.
But socialist, liberal, Green and other leaders warned Barroso that he would have to make further, substantial concessions by early next week if he and his commission were to avoid a heavy defeat -- or, at best, win such a slim majority his team would be left a lame duck for the five-year tenure.
Martin Schulz, leader of the 200-strong socialist group, accused Barroso of going back on his word after conceding on Tuesday that he would strip Buttiglione, an Italian Catholic, of his civil liberties responsibilities.
He dismissed as "cosmetic" Barroso's decision to set up a shadow team of commissioners chaired by himself to monitor his performance. Barroso can count on the full support in parliament of just two of the eight political groups: the 268-strong center-right European People's party (with one unknown Tory dissenter) and the 27-strong Union for Europe of the Nations. Graeme Watson, leader of the 88-strong liberal group, said he would be hard-pressed to recommend the Barroso compromise and his members would be split.
If a majority of the 732 MEPs votes down the Barroso team next week in Strasbourg, the EU will be left with a political vacuum, forcing reluctant national governments to propose and agree on a new executive commission or, at the very least, carve up a redistribution of existing portfolios.
Watson warned that support for Barroso was "sapping by the day" and the mood recalled that of 1999 when parliament forced the resignation of the commission, headed by Jacques Santer, over charges of sleaze.
He urged Barroso to promote EU legislation outlawing discrimination on sexual, gender or religious grounds.
Schulz said his members would vote as a bloc against the entire commission if there were no change of tack by the president.
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