Back to Berlaymont for Barroso

José Durão Barroso will announce his new-look EU executive by August 23.

The former Portuguese prime minister will not confirm any names “informally” broached to him so-far by Europe’s leaders.

And Romano Prodi’s successor has pledged that there will “no hierarchy of commissioners” in a Brussels executive where each of the EU’s 25 countries will have a policy chief.

“I want a coalition of people who want to move the European project forward,” he told journalists after securing the backing of MEPs.

“Portfolios will not be distributed in accordance to nationality but according to competence.”

Barroso is seeking more women representatives to sit with him in the European Commission.

“We are going to have to make an effort to get a gender balance,” he said.

“I want my team to include, if possible, eight out of 24 women.”

All the 25 commissioners will, Barroso said, take up offices together in the Brussels Berlaymont building which is set to reopen after closure in 1991 for renovation work.

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