José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president

José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president, on Tuesday told the European Parliament that he will resist lobbying for the plum jobs on the next Commission. Also on Tuesday, the Dutch government renominated Neelie Kroes, the outgoing competition commissioner and one of the most effective members of the existing Commission to return to Brussels. Kroes is a member of an opposition party in the Dutch parliament.

Daniel Cohn-Bendit, co-chair of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, asked if the composition of the new Commission would be decided by Barroso or if Member States would impose their wishes.

“Let’s be blunt. All of us are subject to pressure and requests. But at the end of the day, I have the final decision on what the next Commission will be,” Barroso said.

However, he cannot afford to alienate big countries such as Germany and France.

The Commission must be approved by the European parliament, which is not expected to begin hearings until January.

Neelie Kroes has been the star of the current Commission, facing down tech titans such as Microsoft and Intel and in recent times, being the first politician in the world to move beyond wondering about the framework for the financial industry for a post-crisis world, to mandating radical restructuring of publicly bailed-out banks to enhance competition, including the break-up of her home country's ING financial services group.

Kroes (68) is a member of the opposition liberal party VVD.

José Manuel Barroso is reported to not favour commissioners succeeding themselves.

“She’ll get a portfolio that really involves the future of Europe. It will be connected with e-commerce, digitalisation, broadband, mobile phones - - all issues that touch on the new technological reality. She is very motivated by this. It’s a future-oriented portfolio,”Jan Peter Balkenende, the Dutch prime minister told NOS, the Dutch broadcaster.

Last week, Taoiseach Brian Cowen nominated former ministerial colleague Máire Geoghegan-Quinn to be Ireland's commissioner, a spoil for parties in power.

She is unlikely to get a post of international significance, compared with the potential for example if Pat Cox, the former president of the European Parliament, had been nominated.

Having retired from politics in 1997, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern subsequently gave Geoghegan-Quinn, the job as Irish member of the European Court of Auditors.

Spain is hoping Joaquín Almunia will move from economic affairs to competition, Nellie Kroes's current position.

Denmark nominated Connie Hedegaard, its climate and energy minister and she is considered the frontrunner to become the EU’s first climate action commissioner.

Michel Barnier, a former French Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries in President Sarkozy's government, until his resignation last June on his election to the European Parliament, is expected to  take over internal markets from outgoing Irish commissioner, Charlie McCreevy, where he will have the important role of overseeing financial regulation.

Germany has nominated Günther Oettinger, the leader of the state of Baden Württemberg and he will also be in the hunt for one of the three key economic portfolios - - competition commissioner, internal market commissioner and trade commissioner.

The UK was granted the foreign affairs portfolio last week, when the outgoing trade commissioner, Catherine Ashton, was given the job.