President of European commission issues strongly worded plea to UK to embrace European integration José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European commission, today issues a sharp rebuke to Eurosceptics, including those in the British government, who want to use the current crisis to disengage from the European Union. Writing in the Observer , Barroso makes a rare intervention in the UK political debate by warning that all members of the EU need to unite and “advance together”.