The European Parliament endorsed today the appointment of Portuguese Jose Manuel Barroso as president of the European Commission for the next five years. This will be his second term as head of the institution he leads since 2004.

The firs plenary session of European Parliament after the summer holidays has approved the appointment of José Manuel Durão Barroso as president of the European Commission between 2009 and 2014. Barroso was supported by the MEPs with 382 votes, 219 against and 117 abstentions in a secret ballot held today at the European Parliament chamber in Strasbourg.

Barroso had the support of his party, the European People's Party, a majority of liberals and Portuguese and Spanish socialists. The rest of the Socialists opted for abstinence, while the Greens voted against the nomination.

The Portuguese had already been named president of the Commission by the Council, but parliamentary approval was necessary to formalize the appointment. Barroso has been president of the Commission since November 2004, when he relinquished the chairmanship of Portugal to replace Romano Prodi as head of the body.