Prodi wins Euro vote

THE FORMER Italian prime minister, Romano Prodi, yesterday received the support of the European parliament in his attempt to succeed Jacques Santer as president of the European Commission.

Voting 392 in favour with 72 against, the parliament cleared the way for Mr Prodi to pick the 19 members of his commission. These will then need to be approved in a further vote.

The move came as the parliament refused to support a British-backed measure to cut expenses claimed at lavish rates. Taking exception to a call to produce receipts for all expenses claimed, the parliament instead voted in favour of its own alternative scheme of mild reform.

Alan Donnelly, the leader of the 60 British Labour MEPs, said: "The parliament has made a lot of noise about reforming the EU institutions but today it has overwhelmingly failed to deliver reform."