No Comments as Dutch PM Balkenende Visits Barroso

493 views · Published 12 June 2009 · 0:28 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: Euractiv · 2009 · News & Politics

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Jan Peter Balkenende, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, on Thursday visited Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission.

No public statements were made at the visit. The visit comes a few days after Barroso declared himself a candidate for a second term as president of the Commission, and one week ahead of a EU heads of state summit in Brussel at which EU leaders are expected to decide on who will be the next Commission president. 

Both Barroso and Balkenende belong to the same political family in Europe, the European People's Party. The EPP emerged as the biggest party in the European elections last weekend.

Former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, a liberal, also is mentioned as a candidate. Press reports have said that the socialist group in the parliament declines to support Barroso, opening the prospects for a candidate that would have the support of the socialists, Greens and Liberals.

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