Brussels, 21/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - The President of the EPP-ED Group at the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, expressed his concern on Thursday when speaking before several journalists about the positions taken recently by Chancellor Schröder on European matters. The Chancellor "really does not understand the essence of European unification policy", deplored the CDU member, who mainly cited the term "treachery" used by Gerhard Schröder, regarding the warning that the European Commission made to Germany about its public deficit ("You must also stroke the cow that you milk", he said). His attitude oscillates between "delusions of grandeur and sulking", went on Mr Pöttering, who reproached Chancellor Schröder with not seeing himself as "an equal among equals", but as someone who requires "special treatment". The proof of this is the way he treats the European Commission, stresses Mr Pöttering, who pounded out: "he really does not understand" what the Commission's tasks are. Speaking to a journalist who put questions to him regarding the criticism made by Mr Schröder in Barcelona of Commissioners Wallström and Bolkestein especially, Mr Pöttering replied that we have the right to criticise the Commission on some points but that this should only be done in full awareness of the role of the Commission. Regarding the idea launched in Barcelona for holding a Prodi-Schröder meeting before each European summit, Mr Pöttering asked: If all heads of government wanted the same thing, what would the president of the Commission do then? According to Mr Pöttering, who recalled in passing that he sees Romano Prodi twice a month, the Commission would become a "wandering circus" and would be held up to "ridicule". Mr Pöttering also criticised the German government because the "the Franco-German understanding practically no longer exists", although it is vital for progress in European unification, and, while recognising that part of the responsibility is also held by Paris, he hoped that everyone would seek to "put things back into order" by reestablishing a climate of confidence.
Mr Pöttering, who regretted that Joschka Fischer's "positive attitude" is not enough to make up for the lack of "clear direction" in Chancellor Schröder's European policy, took a stance in favour of the establishment within EU governments of European Affairs Ministers who would meet "very frequently" in Brussels and who would form a "Council of Ministers of European Affairs", which would take legislative decisions (and which would do so in public at the beginning of the procedure and during the decision-making, while negotiations between the two stages would not be public). Chancellor Schröder also contemplates such a possibility but sees it in "terms of power" within his government (Ed.: the minister could be installed at the Kanzleramt), whereas Mr Pöttering sees it as "a question of co ntent".