10/02/2004 (Agence Europe) - In an interview with Corriere della Sera of 9 February, Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the EPP-ED Group at the European Parliament, stated that he considers Silvio Berlusconi is entitled to run for European elections because he does not have "any post in European institutions" and, in his view, he "seems to have the intention of continuing to lead the Italian government". It would therefore be a "symbolic" candidacy. As far as Romano Prodi is concerned, Mr Pöttering said it would be the successful result of pressure by them if he did not run. Mr Pöttering, however, considers it "unacceptable that the European Commission President should be the political point of reference of the centre-left list", for these elections. Answering questions on the candidature of Loyola de Palacio to Spanish elections on 14 March, he admitted that he considers this to be "an error, but not as serious a one as that by Prodi". In his view, the Transport Commissioner's commitment to the ranks of the Partido popular is also "symbolic" as "it seems to me that she is a candidate to the last places on her party's list and perhaps - as Ms de Palacio herself knows -she will not even be elected".