29/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - Francis Wurtz, President of the GUE/NGL Group, has announced that his group will vote against José Manuel Durao Barroso as Commission President (see Page 5,and yesterday's EUROPE, p.4). Mr Durao Barroso "unites all the 'qualities' justifying a unanimous vote" against his candidacy, said Mr Wurtz in a press release, particularly criticising "his liberal policies", "his zeal for the Stability Pact, which has caused a serious recession in Portugal and record unemployment", and his "Atlantic orientation", and his "allegiance to George Bush, illustrated by the sad memory of the Azores summit". He feels that the Heads of State and Government have shown what a "gulf" separates them from the citizens, which, in the European elections, rightly punished these policies.