Brussels, 24/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - French Communist Francis Wurtz has been re-elected at the head of the European United Left/Nordic Greens Left Group that should, with around 45 members and associate members, remain the fourth largest political group at the European Parliament. A press release states that Mr Wurtz's designation confirms the "resolve for real political continuity" within the group that wants to make "another voice in Europe" heard in order to change the direction and structures of European construction and give it back a "meaning that citizens will be able to relate to".
The first meeting of the group allowed an exchange of views on the draft constitutional treaty. It confirmed the group's opposition to the treaty, considering that it reinforces the liberal vision of the European project. According to Francis Wurtz, this is a progressive "no" which "brings an alternative to the liberal Europe".
Furthermore, the group received on Wednesday 23 June in Brussels a delegation of employees of the Ronal de Saint-Avold (France) factory which is threatened with closure in the context of relocation to Poland. It also decided to initiate a campaign in favour of releasing 7500 Palestinian prisoners.