EU: The outgoing president of the European Commission, Mr Romano Prodi, has warned his successor, Mr José Manuel Barroso, against underestimating the power of the European Parliament.
In an interview with The Irish Times, Mr Prodi said that the parliament was more influential than its limited legal powers might suggest.
"The only advice is, don't consider only the power that the parliament has," he said. "The European Parliament is more than the power that the parliament has. This is my advice because otherwise you will make a mistake of historical perspective."
Mr Prodi declined to comment directly on Mr Barroso's dispute with MEPs over the appointment of Mr Rocco Buttiglione as Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner. He said he hoped a new Commission would be endorsed before next Friday's signing of the EU constitution in Rome, but he would not be drawn on whether the new team should include Mr Buttiglione.
"I hope that before the signature of the constitution, we'll have a strong Commission approved and ready to start its difficult job," he said.
Mr Barroso has expressed confidence that his Commission will win a majority in the European Parliament next week but socialist MEPs said yesterday that they were close to securing the necessary numbers to vote down the new Commission.
MEPs last week praised Mr Prodi for his political guidance of the Commission during the past five years and for his role in facilitating the introduction of the euro, the EU enlargement and the negotiation of the constitution.
Mr Prodi said he was pleasantly surprised by his reception in the European Parliament, adding that he had learnt the importance of treating MEPs with respect.
"I was stubborn. I suffered a lot, but I made a clear agreement with the parliament and I respected it. I defended the Commission but I recognised the rights of the parliament," he said.
Members of the Barroso team voiced confidence yesterday that it would scrape through an approval vote in the European Parliament, but the socialists said they almost had enough support to bring it down.
The posturing over next week's vote came as Mr Barroso gathered his 24 commissioners-designate for a brainstorming session.
"I trust we will have a majority in the parliament and we can get to the real business," said Mr Olli Rehn, the EU's enlargement chief-in-waiting, as he arrived for the seminar at a 19th-century house set in parklands outside Brussels.
On Thursday, Mr Barroso defied calls to ditch Mr Buttiglione over remarks he made on homosexuality and marriage.
Mr Barroso is assured of backing for his team from the conservatives, the largest - though not majority - group in the 732- member parliament, which votes next Wednesday in Strasbourg on the line-up.
He faces a No however from the Greens, a majority of the socialists and perhaps most liberals, who could swing the vote.
The online version of German magazine Focus said Mr Barroso had told the Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schröder, during a visit to Berlin this week that he was sure of 363 votes, enough for a majority if - as expected - there were abstentions.
(Additional reporting by Reuters)