Strasbourg, 24/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - Invited by the press to give their opinion on the question of whether Jean-Marie Le Pen (Non-attached, France) should be allowed (and how he would be prevented) to preside over the inaugural session for the new parliament next July as the senior MEP, if he is re-elected (he will be 81 in June: EUROPE 9856), the presidents of the political groups replied in no particular order. “I am worried that a fascist, holocaust denier, for whom Auschwitz is merely a historical detail, would be able to preside over the inaugural session because of seniority of age. What a disgrace that this man, with the ideology he represents, could preside, even for a moment, over a multinational assembly. What should therefore be done?” The German president of the Socialist Group, Martin Schulz, stressed that they could amend the rule. The German president of the Greens, Daniel Cohn-Bendit stated that “we want the youngest MEP to open the inaugural session. We don't want this because of Mr Le Pen but because Europe is the future. The oldest is old-fashioned. But it won't be easy to change the rule”. The British president of the Liberals, Graham Watson, said that if Le Pen presided it would be for a very short period and stated that although he hated Le Pen's politics, he should not be treated any differently. Joseph Daul, the French president of the EPP-ED Group said that “for the instant, we do not have a proposal to change the rule but the rule is very clear, the senior MEP presides the inaugural session. Mr Le Pen is very “national”, let's hope that on 14 July he will be in France for the national day celebrations”. The French president of the GUE/NGL, Francis Wurtz, concluded: “I do not at agree that Le Pen presides over the inaugural session. We have to do everything to prevent this occurring. If the rule needs to be amended, we have to discuss it”. (E.H./transl.rh)