The incoming president of the European Commission gave warning today of a "crisis" if MEPs veto the new EU executive over the inclusion of an Italian who considers homosexuality a sin and thinks women should stay at home and have children.

Jose Manuel Barroso is refusing to bow to demands from European Parliament leftwingers who want Rocco Buttiglione, the Italian nominee for justice commissioner, transferred to another job.

The MEPs were outraged by Signor Buttiglione's illiberal views expressed during his nomination hearing. They have threatened to veto all 25 commissioners-designate, as they have no power to weed out individual nominees.

Signor Buttiglione, a Catholic philosophy professor who is close to the Pope, would be in charge of immigration policy, anti-terrorist measures and human rights.

In a three-hour debate in Strasbourg ahead of a crunch vote tomorrow, Senhor Barroso offered further concessions over Signor Buttiglione's future role and told the Parliament that a "no" vote would be "a bad day for Europe".

"I cannot surrender to a culture of intolerance," the former Portuguese Prime Minister said. "I think I have found the best solution, which is the one I've proposed to you. I am convinced that any other way could lead to a crisis."

A "no" vote would be unprecedented and would create an institutional conflict pitting the elected parliamentarians against the EU executive and member states.

The arithmetic ahead of tomorrow's vote is too close to call. Among the 732 MEPs, only the conservative European People's Party, which holds 268 seats, is backing the Barroso Commission.

Other groups are either against or split, and many MEPs are coming under haeavy political pressure from home to fall into line and accept the Commission.

Daniel Cohn-Bendit, the Greens leader, joked during today's debate that British Labour MEPs were "fed up" with calls from Downing Street telling them which way to vote.

Senhor Barroso has made various concessions, primarily that Signor Buttiglione's responsibilities regarding civil liberties and human rights be overseen by a panel of commissioners including the Italian, but chaired by Senhor Barroso himself.

Today, he promised new legislation to fight discrimination and spoke out against proposals to create transit camps for asylum seekers in North Africa - explicitly distancing himself from Signor Buttiglione’s views.

"I have got your message," Senhor Barroso told MEPs. "I appeal to your sense of responsibility. I ask you to express a vote of confidence in this college.

"Some of you would have preferred a more radical response and a reshuffling of the team. But is this a real option at this stage? Changing portfolios at this stage would cause more political and institutional problems than it would solve."

But Martin Schulz, the German leader of the Parliament's 200-strong Socialist group, the second biggest force in the assembly, replied that the new European Commission president had not gone far enough to win the fundamental trust of the Parliament.

"If it stays this way, it will be very difficult for us to express confidence in your Commission," Herr Schulz said.

The involvement of Herr Schulz has added an extra nationalistic dimension to the row. He was the MEP likened by Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, to a German concentration camp guard during an acrimonious clash at the Parliament last year. Herr Schulz has denied that he is motivated by a desire for revenge.

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