Strasbourg, 20/07/2004 (Agence Europe) - During a joint press conference on Tuesday with Graham Watson, Bronislaw Geremek admitted that he had been a candidate for the presidency of the Europe Parliament not because he wanted, as some said, to be a "troubler" but because "I wanted to win, and I am disappointed that I did not". As he had briefly done in plenary, he repeated that the European Parliament must be the "main place of debate on the Constitution" and although there are perhaps "too many Eurosceptics", the referendums on the European Constitution will provide an opportunity to carry out a debate "between those who believe in Europe and those who do not believe". Mr Geremek nonetheless does not have the feeling that he has lost completely and finds that "it was not so bad as I was able to make my voice heard". When answering questions on Francis Wurtz"s criticism of him, Mr Geremek hastened to say: "I did not attack Mr Wurtz during this campaign and only reacted when he criticised me". He went on to add, however: "I had problems when he complimented me (…). I found him likeable and then one scratches away at the surface a little and one sees grandfather Stalin reappear (…). I do not want compliments from him". Mr Geremek said he would have liked to tell Mr Wurtz that, "when I was thrown in prison as a CIA agent, George Bush the father, who was at the head of the CIA at the time, told me he had not seen my name on the pay slips!".
Graham Watson, for his part, said Mr Geremek's result was "honourable" as, with 208 votes, he won votes "across the House", whereas Mr Borrell did not have full votes from the EPP and PES but fell 80 votes short of these groups. What will happen in two and a half years from now? In response to a question put to him, Mr Watson said that they had not taken part in any agreement and will have full freedom to again present a candidate for the Parliament presidency but that this has not yet been spoken of. He warned that "our group has not yet exhausted all its possibilities", a dynamic will develop through the legislature and "I would not be surprised if we attracted other members".