In 2004, this system produced a number of candidates and was thus criticised by some MEPs: following the drawn-out selection, the ALDE group leader Graham Watson described the procedure as a "Justus Lipsius carpet market" producing only the "lowest common denominator"; while Green-EFA co-leader Daniel Cohn-Bendit asked Barroso after his first speech "If you are the best candidate, why were you not the first?"
I 2004 producerede dette system flere kandidater hvilket blev kritiseret af flere parlamentsmedlemmer: efter en langtrukken udvælgelse beskrev lederen af ALDE-gruppen, Graham Watson, proceduren som et "Justus Lipsius-tæppemarked", der kun producerer "den laveste fællesnævner"; mens medformanden for Green-EFA, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, spurgte Barroso efter dennes første tale "Hvis du er den bedste kandidat, hvorfor var du så ikke den første?"