Former Portuguese Prime Minister José Manuel Durao Barroso yesterday won a crucial vote at the European Parliament to serve a second five-year term as President of the European Commission until 2014.
His new mandate was confirmed following a secret vote by MEPs during their monthly Strasbourg plenary.
Mr Barroso, who hails from the European People's Party, won the backing of the absolute majority of MEPs, with 328 in favour, 219 against and 117 abstentions. He was supported by the centre-right parties including the EPP and the European Conservatives and Reformists and opposed by the Socialist group, the second largest within the EP.
After the vote, Mr Barroso said he suspected that a substantial number of Socialist MEPs defied their group and also voted for him.
Malta's five MEPs were divided and took their group's position.
While the two Nationalist MEPs, both voted in favour, the three Labour MEPs abstained, citing the lack of commitment on illegal migration as their main reason.
Louis Grech, head of Labour's delegation, said that during the past five years Mr Barroso did not treat the matter of illegal migration in a concrete and urgent manner.
"We also found Mr Barroso's report, submitted to all the political groups, outlining his political guidelines for the next five years, disappointing. It is evident that there was an absence of serious commitment to resolve this delicate issue of irregular immigration in a fair manner, especially when one considers the enormous burdens this matter has put on Malta's resources."
Mr Grech also said that Labour's MEPs were also disappointed by Mr Barroso's lack of commitment on implementing social measures.
"With our abstention we are giving out a clear signal that we are reserving our final judgment until the whole college is elected and the Commission's plans for the next five years are more clearly spelt out," Mr Grech said.
The 53-year-old who has been heading the European Commission since 2004, is the second Commission President to be confirmed for a second term since Jacques Delors, who spearheaded the EU's integration while in that position between 1985 to 1994.
Mr Barroso was already endorsed by the 27 member states last June.
One of the first immediate tasks facing Mr Barroso now is the formation of a new college of commissioners with the nomination of a 26-strong team. This will probably have to wait for some more time as member states are not expected to nominate their commissioner before the outcome of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, scheduled for October 2.
It is up to the President of the Commission to choose the portfolio to assign to the different commissioners.