Brussels, 23/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - The Party of European Socialists (PES) should nominate a candidate for the presidency of the next European Commission, says the chairman of the European Parliament constitutional affairs committee, German Social Democrat Jo Leinen. “Since the Board of the EPP declared José Manuel Barroso their candidate for the next legislative term, the second largest political family in the EU must now propose an alternative,” he said. Citizens would, then, “have a real choice between a Conservative-Liberal 'business as usual' and a social progressive start towards a new policy era at the top of the Commission,” Leinen went on. PES leaders, meeting in Brussels last week, decided not to comment on this issue. “It is too soon. Let's speak about it later,” said PES leader Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (see EUROPE 9865). (H.B./transl.rt)