Strasbourg, 03/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - The EPP Group of the European Parliament celebrated, on 1 July, its 50th anniversary in the House of the Palais de l'Europe in Strasbourg. The Group's president, German national Hans-Gert Pöttering, opened the ceremony by praising the French Prime Minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, "for his courage and determination in implementing reforms in France". "You are an example for the other European countries", he said. He then congratulated the Group for its growth, as it is today "stronger than the Liberals and the Socialists together" with 301 representatives at the European Parliament counting the observers of candidate countries.
Several speakers welcomed the reference made to religion in the preamble to the draft European Constitution. The President of the Italian House of Representatives, Pier Ferdinando Casini, mainly recalled the speech by Jean-Paul II who, speaking before the Italian Parliament, had recalled how important such values were for stability in Europe. "The year 2004 will be a year of enlargement and consolidation", Jean-Pierre Raffarin was pleased to state, congratulating Valéry Giscard d'Estaing on his work. "It is now our responsibility to make European citizens share in our project", he added. The project comprises "a reasonable compromise", former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl said, hoping that the IGC will be able to "improve what can still be improved". Mr Kohl, who received a standing ovation, recalled that, without the creation of Europe, there would have been no German unification. He above all stressed the importance of single currency, something that was described as absurd when it started, saying he was convinced that, within ten years from now, the euro would be in London and, why not, also in Switzerland, "as the Swiss know how to calculate and they will see that the euro pays".
Debates also covered relations between the United States and Europe. "Anti-Americanism does not belong to European culture", Mr Casini said. The Union has a "duty to peace", Mr Raffarin affirmed. He went on to say: "A powerful Europe is needed to maintain the planet in balance (…). Global governance is being established and Europe does not have much time left. UN and WTO reforms are necessary, and the creation of a world organisation for the environment should be envisaged".
Hans-Gert Pöttering closed the ceremony by giving all speakers a publication summarising the history of the Group. He recalled that the Group, born on 23 June 1953, has always been the "guarantor of an audacious and strong vision" around the values of "courage and loyalty" to the Community method.