MEPs ready to take on nominees

Countdown to Barroso ii

19 November: Leaders of national governments to decide who should be the president of the European Council, the high representative for foreign policy and the secretary-general of the Council of Ministers
1 December: Lisbon treaty enters into force
11-16 January: Hearings in European Parliament for 26 European commissioners-designate
20 January: European Parliament scheduled to vote on approving the full European Commission.
1 February: Likely date for Barroso II to take office

MEPS' First victim?

Socialist and Liberal MEPs have already singled out Rumiana Jeleva, the Bulgarian candidate for commissioner, for particular attention. They are planning to look into accusations in the Bulgarian media against her husband, Krassimir Jelev, a businessman, of dealings with criminal organisations.

Both Jeleva, currently foreign minister and a former centre-right MEP, and her husband are close to Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov who nominated her as commissioner. She is resented by some Liberal MEPs because her nomination ended the chances of Meglena Kuneva, a Liberal, of staying on as commissioner. Socialist MEPs are angry with Borisov over his treatment of Bulgarian Socialist Party politicians, whom he accused in a television interview of being “a gang of liars”. Some MEPs also believe Jeleva is too inexperienced to handle the responsibilities of a commissioner.
Sources in the European Parliament doubt whether there would be enough opposition to Jeleva becoming commissioner for the Parliament to reject her as they did Rocco Buttiglione in 2004. They point out that Jeleva has strong backing from the European People's Party, to which Borisov's GERB party belongs.