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Wrangle over key E.U. posts

By Batuk Gathani

BRUSSELS, JULY 19. The European Parliament is witnessing intense political haggling over the confirmation of the Presidents of the European Commission and Parliament.

An agreement among various political groups ranging from the Centre-Right conservatives to the Centre-Left socialists and liberals has become indispensable because last month's European elections did not produce clear winners. Of the 732 seats in Parliament, the Centre-Right groups won 268, ahead of the socialists and the revamped Liberals, who have secured 200 and 88 seats respectively.

Obviously, a clear-cut majority for any single group is not there and hence Parliament is passing through a phase of intense haggling before Tuesday's secret ballot to confirm the nomination of José Manuel Barroso as the President of the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union. Mr. Barroso's nomination was initiated under the six-monthly rotating presidency of Ireland last month. He is widely rated as the "best acceptable compromise candidate" for various groups from the French-German axis on the one hand to Britain, Italy, Benelux and Scandinavian countries on the other.

Mr. Barroso, a determined "Europeanist" and an ardent advocate of "Atlanticism", has sought to tread a middle path between the extremes of Euro-American relations on issues such as the Iraq war and trade disputes. According to observers, Josep Borrell, a former Spanish minister is tipped to be the next President of the European Parliament.

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