With all the focus on Mandelson’s dodgy appointment, I don’t think many in the UK have realised.

The new chap who ends up being one of the most powerful men in Europe is Jos� Manuel Barroso. Ever heard of him? He’s the former Prime Minister of Portugal, yet must have done some other stuff. But Google for him and that’s pretty much all you can find out on the first page of results. At least in English. It takes a bit more patience to find a more in-depth biography.

It turns out he was a communist. Which is always encouraging. Plus supported the invasion of Iraq. Which was nice of him.

Anyway, here’s a breakdown of the rest of the new commissioners. I might hunt around for dirt on them – we already know Mandelson’s hardly the best choice if the Commission wants to rid itself of the image of corruption and nepotism it has built up over the last few years, so it’d be interesting to find out the pasts of the rest of them.