Strasbourg, 20/07/2004 (Agence Europe) - Spanish socialist Josep Borrell Fontelles was elected president of the European Parliament on Tuesday in Strasbourg (for the first half of the legislature) in the first round, with 388 votes. He had needed 324 votes. Polish Liberal Bronislaw Geremek got 208 votes and the French Communist Francis Wurtz, 51. Announcing the result, the most senior member, Giovanni Berlinguer, pointed out that Mr Borrell had not only got the absolute majority of votes cast (which was necessary to be elected in the first, second and third rounds) but also (which was not necessary) the absolute majority of the members of parliament. 700 MEPs took part in the vote, 53 ballot papers were null or void. The votes cast were therefore 647 and the majority required was 324. During the brief debate following the election, regrets and criticism were again voiced about the agreements between the two main political groups the EPP-ED and the PES about the way their shared out the posts, agreements that Hans-Gert Pöttering justified by the need to ensure "stability" in parliament (see below, as well as other article on Mr Borrell's press conference).
Borrell outlines his European trajectory - Geremek says parliament ought to be a "place of strategic
debate" Wurtz says "tarnished identities should end"
Before the vote, the three candidates briefly explained their reasons for standing.
Josep Borrell explained that he came from a generation of Spanish for whom "Europe on the horizon" saw the transition to democracy and which was committed politically at a very young age. He pointed out that he had been a trade unionist and politician for 18 years (five of them as president of the European Affairs Committee) and minister and Secretary of State for 12 years. In playing this role at the Council of the EU he said that "I lost battles that had been won by the European Parliament, which has a vision of a Europe that is closer to its citizens", he acknowledged. He said for him, Europe is more than a political experience, "it is a vital project…I feel as European as I do Spanish or Catalan". Mr Borrell said that some of the challenges for the presidency of the parliament were the need to manage the work well in a "complex linguistic context".
As for Bronislaw Geremek, he pointed to the role played by Solidarnosc in the movement, which finally led to the re-unification of Europe. "You know me, you know my life" he informed colleagues, also indicating that he had friends in all the political families at the European Parliament. Quoting Martin Luther King who said that politics did not exist without a dream, Geremek explained, "I came here with this dream of Europe" and that he wanted parliament to be a "place of strategic debate on the future of Europe" for it to be a "superb institution of one of the largest democracies in the world" that played a political role.
Francis Wurtz, president of the United Left/Nordic Green Left group, announced straight away that hi candidacy from the first round onwards was "highly symbolic" and aimed simply to "finish with tarnished identities", that were instigating agreements on the left and on the right and which involved applying liberal policies in Europe and supporting (like Blair and Aznar) president Bush in his "bellicose adventure in Iraq". He attacked the "unnatural alliance" between the EPP-PES and explained that his group could not vote for Mr Geremek because of his "very orthodox" options in economic and social affairs but especially because of his position on the war in Iraq. Wurtz exclaimed that the rupture between the right and the left is less significant than between those who are for or against the war. He also pointed out that he had proposed the EP's Sakharov Prize for the Liberal, Hans Blix, for his efforts to avoid war in Iraq.
Borrell and Prodi underlines parliament's crucial role in process for ratifying constitution - Borrell to present "strategic vision" of his presidency in September.
In his thankyou speech, Josep Borrell paid homage to his predecessor, Pat Cox, notably for his efforts to "get the Union out of its intergovernmental drift". Borrell, who had been a very active Convention member, noted that over the last "very decisive two and a half years", the European Parliament now had to accompany the constitutional treaty ratification process, particularly in countries holding referendums. As for his "strategic vision", at this beginning of the legislature, Borrell announced that he would be presenting it after the summer holidays, in order to be able to discuss it with the EP vice presidents and presidents of the political groups.
But he had already pointed out that one of his first tasks would be that of tightening the relationship with the new European Commission. Financial prospects, evolution of the Stability Pact, future enlargement, new legislative powers of the European Parliament and relations with the national parliaments and Euro-Mediterranean Assembly: here are the main themes sketched out by Mr Borrell, who also pointed to the international challenges, particularly the "the dramatic situation in the Middle East".
The president of the European Commission Romano Prodi was also keen to point out the importance of the alliance between the Commission and Parliament. He insisted that they had to work together to give some scope to the debate on the European constitution and play a role in favour of ratification.
During the brief debate, most MEPs who made a contribution, wanted to pay homage to Bronislaw Geremek and express their pride in having him as a colleague. The president of the EPP-Ed group Hans-Gert Pöttering, again justified the agreement between his group and the PES "which is completely normal" that they try and get majorities to ensure the "stability" of the institution, he declared, noting that this stability would also be guaranteed with the confirmation of the new president of the Commission on Thursday (in this connection, the co-president of the Greens/EFA group, Monica Frassoni expressed concern, asking whether it was a socialist or president Barrosso who had been party to this arrangement). Pöttering pointed out that his group during the previous period, had concluded an agreement with the Liberals, adding that after Pat Cox they were unable to elect another Liberal as president by excluding the second group of the EP, the PES. The president of the PES group, Martin Schultz, commented that it was a "beautiful day". On the other hand Graham Watson again denounced the "unnatural alliance" between the EPP and socialists, warning that if they tried to work out between themselves how the parliament worked, Watson's side would fight back. As for stability, the British Liberal said that the problem was democracy was "crisis management" and that Europe had to resolve its problems as it went about them and the important thing was "the legibility" of political agreements and European legislation. Your alliance is not natural, he said to the EPP-Ed and PES. Some speakers highlighted respect for diversity of the parliament and equality among MEPs. Cristina Muscardini (UEN) and Bruno Gollnisch (Front national), who deplored the cattle trading between the big groups, although the non-attached, which all together were bigger than certain groups (34 at the moment) had no infrastructure for working.