Brussels, 14/07/2004 (Agence Europe) - Francis Wurtz, the French president of the GUE/NGL Group who welcomed Jose Manuel Durao Barroso late Tuesday afternoon, said: “We are not a communist group. We are a very diversified group with 17 different political components from 13 countries. We are the left-wing opposition group to Europe as it is being created today, as far as the liberal model and democratic failings are concerned. It is hoped that we are also a force of opposition when it comes to social and environmental matters, gender equality, social and civic rights. We want a more active EU role in the world, a Union that would use its influence to make equitable and democratic globalisation emerge. Our ideas are not quite the same as yours but we are democrats!”.
Taking the floor, “centre reformist” candidate Barroso said (in addition to what he had already said during the day before the EPP/ED and PES Group, see EUROPE of 14 July, p.5-7) that, in his capacity as president of the EU Executive, he will try to have a “loyal relationship and political cooperation with the EP without ruling out a sincere debate on what separates us and what unites us”. He went on to say: “The Commission must work hand in hand with the EP to create policies that go beyond the smallest common denominator. We must have real political dialogue”.
After having been placed in the hot seat by Portuguese MEPs Ilda Figueiredo, Miguel Portas and Sergio Ribeiro for the policy that he has conducted in Portugal over the past two years, Mr Barroso more or less answered a flood of economic, social and environmental questions raised by MEPs: the Stability Pact (Sarah Wagenknecht of Germany), wage policy (Roberto Musacchio of Italy), violence in the home against women, appointment of a female Commissioner for equal opportunities (Eva-Britt Svensson of Sweden), fight against poverty (Gabriele Zimmer of Germany), Bolkestein directive on services (Helmut Markov of Germany and Erik Meijer of the Netherlands), and GMOs (Diamanto Manolakou). Questions were put to the Italian MEPs Vittorio Emanuele Agnoletto and Greek Dimitris Papadimoulis on the European Patent, the fight against AIDS, the situation of immigrants, and transmission of personal data. The situation in the Middle East, Cyprus, NATO and Iraq were also evoked by Luisa Morgantini of Italy and Willy Meyer of Spanish.
Mr Barroso mainly spoke of: 1) Stability Pact. He said it must be respected and that it is essential for the EU to have sound macro-economic policies. One must see how to make the Pact as credible as possible without having to rewrite it. 2) Tax harmonisation. “It doesn't even exist within our own countries! I am in favour of a lower nominal tax paid by all. Europe does not have the possibility to increase tax charges”. 3) Poverty. “I am in favour of a voluntary programme to combat poverty”; 4) Services Directive. “The two objectives must be reconciled: that of the internal market (services) and that of social rights, universal access to public services and transparency. This does not rule out the possibility of a framework directive on services of public interest”; 5) Women's rights. “In my government there were four women in key posts: finance, justice, foreign affairs, science and research. That's better than at the Commission! I am an active defender of women's rights. Ask your governments to put women forward to be Commissioners as I want a more balanced Commission between men and women”. As far as abortion is concerned, Mr Barroso said: “Personally, I would never condemn a women for having had an abortion as this is a matter of personal conscience”; 6) Immigration. “I am in favour of a policy that is welcoming, generous, united and humane towards immigrants, and which takes their needs into account”; 7) Middle East/Israel: “I am in favour of Javier Solana's position on the building of the wall by Israel and that of the ICC as this construction is a violation of the Palestinian right of ownership”; 8) Cyprus. “My wish is for a reunited Cyprus and my idea is to be in contact with all the citizens living on the island”; 9) NATO. “I am in favour of a European security and defence identity”; 10) Iraq. “The positive side of this war is that today in Iraq people can speak out just as the communist party which was banned”.
Concluding the hearing, Francis Wurtz noted the deep disagreement between his group and Mr Barroso on a number of ideas and mainly on NATO, the Stability Pact, the Bolkestein Directive (“We are against the commercial conception of services”), the war in Iraq (“Your positive appreciation of the results of this war cannot suit us. Much remains to be said, like the links with Al-Qaeda and the fact that it has sparked off terrorism in the world”). Nonetheless, despite our disagreement, he said, “we hope to cooperate with the President and the Commission”. Finally, President Wurtz called on Mr Barroso, once invested, to receive the 43 Commission language teachers who, despite their permanent contract, have just been dismissed. “This is a very bad example of the Commission's social idea of things”, he said.