Brussels, 16/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European venture is in crisis and the new president of the European Commission must therefore meet three criteria: be pro-European, social minded and represent the broadest compromise between political forces. Such is the position of the co-president of the Greens/EFA Group, Daniel Cohn-Bendit (although the other co-president, Monica Frassoni, prefers to speak of "mediation" rather than "compromise"), expressed before the press in Brussels on Wednesday. According to these criteria, the German Green member feels there is only one candidate who can win two-thirds of the votes at the European Parliament: Jean-Claude Juncker. The Luxembourg Prime Minister is the person who best fits the Christian Democrat and Social tradition represented by Jacques Delors. If he does not accept the appointment immediately, the Greens will do everything they can to make MEPs refuse any name other than his during the first round. "Once the whole Council is on its knees before him, and Luxembourg see 24 Heads of State kneeling before Mr Juncker, then the Luxembourg public will surely tell him to accept". At the same time, Mr Cohn-Bendit proposes a "radically European" candidate for the presidency of the European Parliament, former French Socialist Prime Minister (and MEP) Michel Rocard. Mr Rocard is not a "dumb Socialist" but someone who knows how to assume his political responsibilities and who could raise the level of the European debate. This tandem could, Cohn-Bendit says, make citizens want Europe back again, a Europe they have lost.
Mr Cohn-Bendit, on the other hand, is highly critical of an agreement between a future centre group and the EPP, whereby the former would agree to elect Hans-Gert Pöttering to the EP Presidency for five years, and the EPP would support Guy Verhofstadt as Commission president. Answering questions, Mr Cohn-Bendit said Mr Rocard could be elected for two and a half years, with the tenure being passed on to "anyone who feels like it" - Mr Watson, Mr Bourlanges or someone else, or the representative of a new member State. Daniel Cohn-Bendit said he would be happy to vote for Bronislaw Geremek. In response to the question of what voters will think of such "manoeuvring", Monica Frassoni replied that the Greens are perfectly loyal to their mandate, which is to ensure institutions work in the best possible way from a progressist point of view. "The voters will understand", she said.
François Bayrou will today create his centre party and "I find that just fine", Mr Cohn-Bendit said. He is "absolutely" in favour of pro-European centrists leaving the EPP Group to join this new formation. Strengthening the political scene in the centre is interesting for the dynamic of Europe, Mr Cohn-Bendit concluded.