Jose Manuel Barroso, former President of the European Commission, arrives at the Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski Dresden | Sean Gallup/Getty Images José Manuel Barroso’s new job at Goldman Sachs angers EU Some MEPs call for sanctions over former Commission chief’s failure to ‘behave with integrity and discretion.’

Former European Commission President José Manuel Barroso's move to join Goldman Sachs International has set off a furious reaction among some EU politicians and watchers, and generated renewed interest in how to deal with potential conflicts of interest when top Commission officials leave and enter the private sector.

Barroso, who was prime minister of Portugal from 2002 to 2004 and the Commission's president between 2004 and 2014, was appointed last Friday as chairman and a senior adviser at the international arm of the U.S. investment banking powerhouse. He will move to London to advise the bank on the U.K.'s negotiations to leave the European Union.

"These shameful revolving doors between politics and business foster doubts on the integrity of democratic politics,” said Sven Giegold, a Green MEP. "Barroso's quick change-over damages the reputation of the European Commission."

Jean Quatremer, the EU affairs correspondent for the French daily Libération, was harsher. In an opinion piece, he wrote: “Barroso has given Europe the finger."

Even a trade union of EU staffers, Unity Union, said his appointment would "discredit our institution."

According to an EU diplomat, the current Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was not told in advance and “probably [he] was not happy,” but the two men called each other after Barroso's appointment was announced.

“As a general rule, President Juncker does not wish to comment on decisions made by a predecessor,” said Margaritis Schinas, the Commission's chief spokesperson, as he confirmed Juncker had not been aware of the move.

Despite the indignation, Barroso has not breached any revolving-door rules of the institution he used to lead.

Rather, what seemed to irk many EU insiders was his comment to the Financial Times on how he can be an asset for the Wall Street bank in navigating its ways through the Brexit situation.

“Of course I know well the EU, I also know relatively well the U.K. environment,” the FT quoted Barroso as saying, adding “if my advice can be helpful in this circumstance I’m ready to contribute, of course.”

Barroso is not a banker by profession but as a former president of the Commission he has deep knowledge of and ready access to EU officials, diplomats, and national leaders, which he can tap into to help Goldman Sachs.

Call for sanctions

In a statement Monday, the French Socialist delegation to the European Parliament called for sanctions on Barroso by cutting his pension from the Commission when he reaches 65 years of age. He is now 60.

Such a penalty is possible under article 245 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which says European commissioners must “respect the obligations arising therefrom and in particular their duty to behave with integrity and discretion as regards the acceptance, after they have ceased to hold office, of certain appointments or benefits.”

In case of a perceived breach of this rule, the Commission or a simple majority of countries within the Council of the EU can launch a legal procedure against Barroso. When he was appointed Commission president he pledged to the European Court of Justice to uphold his duties according to the Treaty.

A diplomatic source told POLITICO it was probably too soon for the Council of the EU to discuss the matter. As for the Commission, it neither announced nor ruled out the possibility of issuing a legal opinion on the matter at a press conference Monday.

Goldman Sachs International has a complicated history with EU officials. Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, Carlos Moedas, the new Portuguese commissioner for research, science and innovation, and Mario Monti, the former European commissioner for competition, also spent time working for the U.S. bank.

During the Greek economic crisis Goldman Sachs was criticized for having helped Athens hide its financial situation in order to enter the eurozone in 2000.

No revision to the rules

On Friday, the lobbying watchdog, Corporate Observatory Europe, called on the Commission to extend the cooling-off period, within which former officials cannot take lobbying jobs, from 18 months to three years. This period for Barroso ended on May 1, and most of the former top Commission officials under him took jobs in the private sector before this period had ended, following approval from the College of Commissioners.

Since his departure in November 2014, Barroso has given the Commission more than 20 job notices, most of them as a guest lecturer.

Ironically, when Barroso was the Commission president, he strengthened the code of conduct for former officials after several revolving-door scandals.

Sources in the Commission said Barroso's current situation is not a breach of the code, but more a question of personal judgment.

Schinas, the spokesperson, said the code of conduct would not be revised, and added that if Barroso meets with Commission officials in the future, he is likely to be considered as a lobbyist from the U.S. bank, not as their former boss.