21/09/2013 00:00
TW
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by RAY FLEMING
THE European Union Parliament's approval of the former Portuguese prime minister, Jose Manuel Barroso, for a second five-year term as President of the European Commission should be welcomed. Mr Barroso may not be a charismatic figure but he is a competent civil servant -- which is what is required in the person who occupies this post. The vote of confidence in him by the Parliament came with only a fairly narrow majority as left-wing MEP's voted against him. For his part, he insisted that the make-up of the new Commission would be non-partisan and broad-based. His promise to create three new commissioners -- for fundamental rights, migration and climate change -- won him backing despite criticism that these areas are already covered by the responsibilities of existing commissioners.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Mr Barroso's re-election was the support he received from the UK Conservative MEPs and their allies in the Strasbourg Parliament. He has been a firm supporter of greater integration within the EU and of the Lisbon Treaty -- both strongly opposed by the Conservative leadership in the UK. Once again, these contradictory policies show how muddled David Cameron's leadership is on Europe. It is an issue of considerable importance yet it is impossible to know where Mr Cameron stands on Britain's future role in the EU. He will have to clarify his position before the general election next year.