Mr Jose Manuel Barroso came out fighting in the first crisis of his incoming EU Commission on Thursday, defying calls to ditch his chosen justice chief Mr Rocco Buttiglione over remarks on homosexuality and marriage.
He dismissed threats by European Parliament socialists to try and vote down his entire Commission, telling parliament leaders at a meeting that the Italian conservative had written to him to apologise for saying homosexuality was a sin.
To try to win enough support for his team in a vote next Wednesday, Barroso said Buttiglione would be shadowed on human rights and discrimination issues by him and other commissioners.
Mr Barroso is assured of the support of conservatives, the largest though not majority group in parliament. But the Socialists' leader said they still wanted Mr Buttiglione replaced and would otherwise seek to rally a majority against Barroso.
He later suggested Mr Buttiglione should be moved to another position as a compromise.
The Greens said whatever the outcome Mr Barroso's executive would be weakened by the inclusion of Mr Buttiglione and other controversial appointees in competition and farm policy.
"Such a commission would hardly survive the next five years," said Greens co-leader Mr Daniel Cohn-Bendit.
However, Mr Barroso won firm backing from Antonio Vitorino, the Portuguese Socialist whom Buttiglione was named to replace as the EU's top official justice and security affairs.
"It is not in the interest of anyone to create a situation of institutional crisis," he said.
The vote now hangs in the balance with others, including the potentially decisive Liberal bloc, reserving judgment. The head of the Civil Liberties Committee, liberal Mr
Jean-Louis Bourlanges, said a reshuffle was his personal preference.
Mr Buttiglione's letter to Mr Barroso, made available to the media, made an unreserved apology for offence caused in remarks made during his confirmation hearing before the parliament.