The European Commission 2004-09: a politically weakened institution? views from the National Capitals

The Barroso Commission is coming to an end. At this stage it is impossible to foresee when the end will be or if the new (old) Commission President will be (re)elected in July 2009 by the new European Parliament. Nevertheless, based on contributions of national experts in 25 EU member states, a picture emerges of a European Commission that has become politically weakened vis-à-vis the other institutions and in the Union as a whole. At the same time the Commission’s greatest success is the adoption of the Climate and Energy Package, which appears to be widely appreciated across the EU.