French President Nicolas Sarkozy made clear he would support Jose Manuel Barroso for a second term as European Commission president when Barroso's mandate ends next year.

Sarkozy, who has just taken on the European Union's rotating presidency for six months, told a joint news conference with Barroso: "If the question is 'Do I have a candidate?', the answer is 'Yes'. If the question is 'Is he sitting at the same table as me?', the answer is also 'Yes'."

Barroso, a centre-right former Portuguese prime minister, took office at the head of the EU's executive in 2004 and has focused chiefly on modernising the European economy and fighting climate change.

Barroso's five-year term expires in October 2009 and a new Commission president and Commission must be chosen by EU leaders.

The Commission president generally comes from the largest party in the European Parliament, which is expected to be the European People's Party, to which Barroso belongs.

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