topics
tools
Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2119.44 0.28
DAX 6339.94 0.38
IBEX 30 6543 0.13
CAC 40 3047.94 0.32
FTSE 100 5351.53 0.03
AEX 292.76 0.23
DJIA 12454.83 -0.60
Nasdaq 2837.53 -0.07
FTSE MIB 13154.8 0.36
TSX Composite 11576.47 0.09
ASX 4081.2 -0.61
Hang seng 18713.41 0.25
Straits Times 2772.75 -0.24
ISEQ 20 500.94 1.55
You are here: Home News News Focus Barroso: the EU chameleon

News Focus

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


17/06/2009Barroso: the EU chameleon

Jose Manuel Barroso, on the way to getting his second term as the European Commission’s president, is known for being able to move with the wind of Europe's often-fickle political interests.

Brussels -- Jose Manuel Barroso, who is almost certain to get a second term as European Commission president this week, has become a master of adapting to circumstances and rubbing leaders the right way.

The 53-year-old former Portuguese premier has been called a "chameleon" who can move with the wind of Europe's often-fickle political interests.

If EU leaders agree at a summit starting Thursday, Barroso will head the EU's executive body over the next five years to propose legislation for the 27 member nations and enforce rules already in place.

The commission, whose budget next year totals 138 billion euros, also polices competition issues.

The multilingual father of three sons has a proven track record for shifting with the sands, with a colourful career that has ranged from Maoism to middle-of-the-road conservatism.

One of the youngest politicians to join a Portuguese government when appointed to a top interior ministry post at the age of 29, Barroso was also known as a zealous champion of the transatlantic alliance.

It was this versatility that enabled him in 2004 to win the support of European Union powerhouses like France and Germany as well as the new nations of eastern Europe, that joined in May that year, to get a first term.

One key consideration then was his perceived ability to heal divisions between supporters and opponents of the US-led war in Iraq.

At first he backed the US campaign to topple Saddam Hussein, hosting a divisive summit with the United States, Britain and Spain on the eve of the invasion.

Yet, at the same time, he managed to weave a web of contacts with other EU governments, particularly among the new member nations, at a difficult time for the bloc.

The last five years has been marred by the EU's failure to agree a constitution and its struggle to ratify a alternative reforms in the Lisbon Treaty, exposing a rift between Europeans and their political elite.

When the financial and economic crisis hit, Barroso was accused by France and Germany of being too passive and slow to act. Critics said the commission chief was too concerned about being granted a new mandate.

"The commission is so scared of the member states right now and everyone is thinking so much about their re-nomination that their proposals are just not up to scratch," ex-French European affairs minister Jean-Pierre Jouyet said.

Former German foreign minister Joschka Fischer was even less charitable. "Barroso is so weak that he will be rewarded with another mandate," he said.

Nevertheless his negotiating skills remain impressive.

In the past, Barroso has helped engineer the Angolan peace accord and sustained the independence movement in East Timor. He was also dogged in keeping Portugal within the economic rules of the European single currency.

Even his wife, Margarida Sousa Uva, a former literature student, is impressed by his versatility.

Asked to describe her husband, Sousa Uva once famously remarked: "If he were a fish, he'd be a grouper," in an apparent reference to the species' chameleon-like ability to change colour based on its surroundings.

AFP/Expatica


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating



0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment
Discussion Forums

Finding your way in Switzerland

Trekking and Backpacking

Community Noticeboard Switzerland

Let's coach..Saturday.Free.In English.

Finding your way in Switzerland

Chinese Nanny (Ayi) wanted

Finding your way in Switzerland

Need Househelp who prepares Thai food

Student forum Switzerland

@SAP Business Objects Online Training in Netherlands by SAP BOSS

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Residence and work permits in Switzerland

Residence and work permits in Switzerland

How to apply for a residency or work permit in Switzerland for you and your family.

How to rent and buy a house in Switzerland

How to rent and buy a house in Switzerland

Information about renting property and obtaining a mortgage in Switzerland.

Switzerland's healthcare system

Switzerland's healthcare system

Information about the Swiss healthcare system, health insurance, pharmacies and emergency numbers.

Banking in Switzerland

Banking in Switzerland

Explaining Swiss currency, banknotes, credit cards and bureaux de change.