Strasbourg, 17/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - Apart from their GUE/NGL counterpart, Francis Wurtz of France, who enthusiastically welcomed the Irish no-vote on the Lisbon Treaty, none of the presidents of the European Parliament political groups sought to conceal their consternation, on Tuesday 17 June in Strasbourg. Although they stressed the importance of respecting the choice made by the Irish people, they all called for the ratification process to continue. “At the European Council, the heads of state and government should issue a statement stipulating that the process will go on”, said Socialist Group president, Martin Schulz, of Germany. “In some capitals, the EU is treated a little like a wicked stepmother. European leaders have a responsibility: to say that the EU is needed to face up to the enormous economic, ecological and social challenges”, he stressed, praising Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who has “linked his political destiny to that of the treaty”. Mr Schulz slammed the behaviour of Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy of Ireland, accusing the “king of deregulation” of saying in Ireland that he “does not understand the treaty and prefers to see a horse race rather than campaign for it”. He also bemoaned the fact that President José Manuel Barroso and Margot Wallström, responsible for communication policy, “have not managed to efface the citizens' fear of a Europe which is not sufficiently social and which is too bureaucratic”. “If you have an Irish prime minister who falls due to corruption, an Irish commissioner who goes on campaign saying he has not even read the text, then it is quite understandable that the answer is 'no'”, was the abrasive comment by Daniel Cohn-Bendit of Germany. Supporting the proposal by German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble to elect the president of the European Council by direct universal suffrage as part of a European election, Mr Cohn-Bendit suggested coupling the next European elections in June 2009 with a consultative vote allowing Europeans to designate their president. Graham Watson of Britain, who heads the Liberals, stressed the lessons to be learned from the Irish no-vote: 1) Citizens are not convinced as national governments have done nothing to convince them of the need for Europe; 2) Even if the Union enjoyed unknown wealth in the past, the distribution of wealth is more unequal since the common market; 3) Although the EU has facilitated the circulation of goods and capital and, to a lesser extent, services, it has done nothing for the people and the people resent this. Governments, he said, must raise the challenge of a people who are displeased with the way Europe works. Citing Berthold Brecht, after the fashion of Mr Wurtz, Mr Watson went on to quote: “If leaders are right and the people are wrong, then change the people”. He went on to conclude: “We cannot dissolve the people!” His view of Mr Schäuble's idea was that it was not bad but that the time was not right. President of the EPP-ED Group Joseph Daul of France said he understood the concerns expressed by the Irish people before the vote on 12 June: - “the agricultural chapter of the Doha Round talks at the WTO, discussions on tax policy, a certain fear about globalisation”. “I have never heard that the Irish wish to leave Europe. The Irish have not said no to solidarity, to a strong Europe”, Mr Daul added, giving his assurance that the responsibility for the failure does not rest on the Commission alone but on all institutions, including the European Parliament, itself “misunderstood” in the management of certain dossiers. (E.H./transl.jl)