Why not? It's one of the easiest
languages to learn, and most Europeans can speak it.
French is also much used, and in fact I have heard Durão Barroso speak French many times.
And that is one of the biggest differences between the present situation of Europe and the start of the United States of America, the past of all the
countries that form the EU is not a common past in the same way that the past of the US states is a common past.
We keep our national differences, we are not the result of a recent invasion from people mostly from just one country, and the fact that we have had
many wars between what are now allies that have killed millions of people and in which what were once allies were at different times enemies has made
us have a different way of looking to global politics.
Oh, and Durão Barros used to live in the same town where I live, so he can not be that bad.
