Brussels, 12/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - In an interview with DPA published on 12 May, the leader of the PES suggests that the Socialists and the Greens share the same ambitions on jobs and protecting the climate. Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, who is critical of the way the Commission President has handled the current crisis, which could result in “a disaster”, with 27 million people unemployed next year, says that Social Democrats could not vote for a Conservative to head the next Commission.
For the Greens, Daniel Cohn-Bendit immediately welcomed the comments of the European Social Democrat leader. “Following the financial and economic crisis, Europe needs a clean break with the past and must embark on a 'Green New Deal', combining sustainable employment, tackling global warming and social justice. Such a policy would be more easily put in place with a Red-Green alliance. This also means, as Mr Rasmussen himself said, that the re-election of Mr Barroso as head of the Commission is not a possibility”. He went on, “Mr Barroso is responsible for promoting neo-liberal policies which have taken Europe into the worst economic and financial crisis since the 30s. Proposing Barroso would be like locking a fox in the hen coop”. “The Red-Green alliance is the credible alternative to the grand coalition that is paralysing Europe. Unfortunately, this Red-Green alliance alone will not be enough to ensure the changes that Europe needs. The big challenge after the elections will be how to help this Red-Green core achieve a majority in the European Parliament. This majority against Barroso will also determine the choice of the next President of the European Parliament,” Cohn-Bendit went on to say. (O.J./transl.rt)