22/01/2003 (Agence Europe) - CSU MEP Joachim Wuermeling has identified himself with the flurry of criticism against the Franco-German proposal on a full-time President for the European Council but acknowledged that the significance of this new set up would depend on the role the European Council intended to play in the future. According to Mr Wuermeling, both the Germans and French apparently want to "still considerably develop" this role but in the CSU MEP's opinion, Europe does not need "more power for Presidents but more power for Parliaments". Mr Wuermeling asserted that should "the European Council seek to be the superior organisation of the Union, it must work differently". The MEP added that "Member States should not be the only ones that have something to say. The European Parliament should have a say too, with at least five MEPs with a place and a voice. The European Council must be democratically controlled…decisions reached by qualified majority voting must be possible there."