Jose Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president, has declared his candidacy for a second five-year term, following a swing to centre-right parties in the European Parliament elections.

Barroso, a former centre-right prime minister of Portugal, said on Tuesday: "The outcome of the European Parliament elections ... makes it possible to clarify my own intentions."

Barroso said he was honoured to have been asked to take up another term by Jan Fischer, the Czech prime minister, whose country holds the presidency of the 27-nation European Union.

Centre-left and green parties in the assembly have opposed a second term for Barroso, saying he has not done enough to combat the global economic crisis, but they have failed to put forward a rival candidate.

'Ambition and commitment'

Barroso said he would only take up another term if EU leaders accept a stronger role for his executive and the EU.

He said: "We are not living in business-as-usual times. We need ambition and European commitment."

Many leaders had already endorsed Barroso, but he had waited for the results of the election, which ran from June 4-7, before announcing a decision.

Anglea Merkel, the German chancellor, said: "We already said that Mr Barroso has our support, at least from my side."

Consensus sought

All 27 EU leaders must agree on the choice of president and Barroso has been lobbying Merkel, Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, and other leaders in recent months, to secure a second term.

Fischer said he would go to member nations to build consensus on Barroso's bid before an EU summit next week in Brussels.

Along with unanimous backing from EU leaders, Barroso will need the endorsement of a majority of European Parliament politicians.

The president of the European Commission presides over an executive team of 26 commissioners drawn from each of the bloc's member states.

The commission is responsible for drafting new laws and ensuring member states abide by existing ones.