EU lawmakers confirm Barroso as Brussels chief

EU lawmakers confirmed Thursday former Portuguese premier Jose Manuel Durao Barroso as next head of the European Commission, despite criticism notably over his support for the Iraq war.

Durao Barroso immediately pledged to "build bridges" between all political factions, whatever their differences over Iraq or other issues, and to help boost the European Union's role on the world stage.

"I will be a commission president for all Europeans, from the Mediterranean to the Baltic, from EU founding states to new entrants, from the poorest to the richest and from the smallest to the biggest," he said.

"We must project the EU more forcefully on the world stage," he added, saying that "we desperately need a strong Commission" after the bloc's expansion from 15 to 25 member states in May.

The European Parliament voted by 413 in favour and 251 against Durao Barroso, who emerged as a compromise candidate last month to head the EU's executive arm from November. Fourty-four MEPs abstained.

He was supported by the conservative European People's Party (EPP), the biggest party in the Strasbourg assembly, but faced criticism from Socialists and Greens notably over his support for the Iraq war.

Durao Barroso's appointment comes at a crucial time for the EU, which finally agreed a long-disputed first-ever constitution last month, but faces an uphill struggle in getting it ratified amid a surge in euroscepticism.

He is to succeed Prodi, whose lacklustre performance has disappointed many since he took office in 2000 following the mass resignation of the previous Commission amid a corruption scandal.

The Portuguese leader's candidacy drew criticism both for his conservative policies while in office in Lisbon and for his backing for Washington over Iraq.

Green leader Daniel Cohn-Bendit recalled the Portuguese leader's hosting of a summit of US President George W. Bush, Britain's Tony Blair and Spain's Jose Maria Aznar just before the start of the Iraq war.

He lamented that Durao Barroso was not able to apologize for his stance over Iraq or concede that he may have been wrong. "Had you been capable of doubt .. we would have been in a different position," he said, justifying his party's opposition to Durao Barroso's candidacy.

But Durao Barroso said Europe must put its Iraq divisions behind it and concentrate on strengthening the bloc, which grew from 15 to 25 members in May.

"What is important now is for us to unite in Europe ... If confirmed that is precisely what I shall be aiming to achieve," he told lawmakers, meeting for the first time since June elections.

In a first indication of his firm stance, Durao Barroso has snubbed a plan by EU heavyweight Germany for an economic "super-commissioner" in Brussels, saying he will have "no first class or second class" members of his team.

And he also dismissed suggestions that he will kowtow to Washington.

"I am a European and proud of it," he declared, saying that if confirmed as Commission head: "I shall defend the common European interest, and I shall not let Europe be treated as a second-rate power in any relationship."

Durao Barroso was persuaded to run for the Brussels job after key US ally Britain vetoed frontrunner Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, judged too federalist by London but also opposed for his opposition to the Iraq war.

Speaking after Thursday's vote, he also reaffirmed his plans to boost the number of women in the Commission, the make-up of which he plans to announce by the week starting August 23.

"We are going to have to make an effort to get a gender balance .. but it's not just up to me. I'll need the governments of the member states to help me in that," he said. The current 30-member Commission has seven women in its ranks.