Brussels, 19/07/2004 (Agence Europe) - The French delegation at the EPP-ED group is for the immediate application of certain agreements in the Constitution. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday 15 June, Alain Lamassoure, who came up with the idea and who is the new spokesperson for the French delegation said that they had looked a the ""list of the provisions in the Constitution, that would not be subject to any expected political or legal opposition". The UMP MEP considers that control over subsidiarity by national parliaments or the permanent presidency of the European Council could be applied immediately, "even the Euro-sceptics are in favour of it" he added sarcastically.
Alain Lamassoure also looked at the strengthening of the European Democrats (ED) component within the group, notably the controversial entry of the Czech Euro-sceptics ODS. Lamassoure said it was justified because, "like the Bavarian CDU, we abstained during the vote on this group's joining". Lamassoure explained that they had invited their Czech colleagues "to water down" their approach to the adoption of the Constitution. The group, however, he explained, had refused the candidacy of the Union of Farmers and parties of the new democracy (VNDPS), which were judged to be "nationalist, Euro-sceptic and anti-Semites".
The spokesperson for the French delegation regretted the "inexplicable" departure of UDF MEPs to join the EPP-ED. A decision that had relegated the French delegation to second place in the sixth rank of the EP-ED, which meant that they were now afraid of losing the Agriculture Committee within the group. After having hesitated for a long time, the Poles, who have slightly more MEPs within the group have decided to apply for the job of EP Vice President. Subsequently, they are leaving the way clear for Joseph Daul to be able to keep hold of the presidency of this parliamentary committee.