EC President Barroso to Run for Third Term - Report

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Photo by EPA/BGNES

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has decided to run for a third term as head of the EU's executive body.

Reports by EurActiv have suggested that he is mulling a bid for the office after former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg was announced as the next NATO Secretary General, a position that the Commission President has been eyeing over the past months.

Barroso has not yet commented on the information.

Until now, he has never indicated he could run for a third term as Commission president, but has neither dismissed the option, with some chief members of the European Commission like his deputy Viviane Reding openly backing a possible bid of his.

The current Commission President faces no legal restrictions under EU treaties to run for a third consecutive time.

However, EurActiv has reminded that leading political families have already chosen candidates to compete for the office this autumn.

These nominations, namely Jean-Claude Juncker's (from the EPP family) and European Parliament President Martin Schulz's (the socialists' candidate), are to have a role in electing the Commission President in accordance with acting legislation under the Lisbon Treaty.

It will be nonetheless up to heads of states and government (i.e. the European Council) to propose the figure which could lead the Commission, this meaning the chances of Barroso, if his bid is confirmed, are not slim.

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