The previous commission resigned in March after a critical report into mismanagement and nepotism among its members, leaving the EU's executive civil service, in effect, rudderless. The German Christian Democrats are complaining that the political complexion of the new 20-strong commission does not reflect that of the parliament, as only six of the team come from rightwing parties. Last night, there was said to be considerable unhappiness within the group at Mr Poettering's action, with senior figures, such as Spain's prime minister Jose-Maria Aznar, understood to have ordered him to back off. Earlier, in his first speech to the newly elected parliament, Mr Prodi, who was endorsed as the commission's new president by the old parliament in May, pleaded with MEPs to endorse his team as quickly as possible. Mr Prodi was himself once a member of the EPP and has said he will reject any vote against the nominees.
Every member has a proven track record.
This new college also provides a fair balance between the political complexion of the national governments and the European Parliament and I welcome this. The commission is a college and commissioners are no more extensions of political groups than they are representatives of national governments. I can tell you clearly and unequivocally that we in the EPP group do not believe that this commission is politically balanced. Mr Prodi's officials immediately pointed out that it was the EU's 15 member governments who were responsible for making nominations, not the presidency or the parliament. On appointment, commissioners forswear political or national partisanship.