After months of political wrangling over the appointment to the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker and his team officially replaced his predecessor, Jose Manuel Barroso, and his Commission on Saturday. The first vice president, former Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans, is to serve as Juncker's right-hand man.
Portugal’s caretaker Prime Minister Jose Socrates announced Tuesday that he has reached agreement on a bail-out from the EU and the International Monetary Fund. He said the three-year loan was a good agreement that defends Portugal.