n Parliament’s political priorities for the legislative period leading up to 2009, and from what we say in it you will be able to come to your own conclusions as regards the programme that we expect from you from January onwards.
Thirdly, the Council and the governments must in future give the President greater discretion when it comes to appointing individual Commissioners and allocating their portfolios. Our expectation of the governments is therefore that they should work together better with the President-designate of the Commission in future.
The hour of decision is now upon us. In the vote, a very large majority of the PPE-DE Group will be expressing its confidence in the Commission. The PPE-DE Group wishes you, Mr Barroso, and all your Commission, every success in the onerous task of working for the well-being of the citizens of the European Union and for the unity of our continent.
Schulz (PSE ),
   .  Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the speech you delivered today, Mr Barroso, demonstrates that substantial changes have taken place since your last speech, when you were presenting your proposals for the Commission – these have been changes in the right direction, changes demonstrating that you have drawn conclusions from what happened before the last plenary part-session here in Strasbourg. We believe that you should have learned those lessons earlier, but never mind; you have arrived at the right answers, and the proposals you have announced today and will be presenting tomorrow are better than what you put forward a fortnight ago. This Commission is of higher quality. That is progress, and it could have been much better than it is. It is at this point that I will address Mr Balkenende and say that it could have been much better than it is if your government, Mr Balkenende, had acted to resolve an issue about which we have had very lively discussions and will continue to do so.
However much regard I have for your Presidency of the Council and for you personally, I found it regrettable that the It