Brussels, 08/06/2009 (Agence Europe) - Although the European People's Party (PPP) held on to its place as the largest political group in the European Parliament, the Conservatives and Christian Democrats of Europe are aware that they do not have an absolute majority on their own and that cooperation with the other groups, particularly the Socialists and the Liberals, will be extremely important in future. With an increased number of Eurosceptic and extremist forces in the hemicycle, understanding and good collaboration between the traditional political families will be even more important than in the past, the president of the EPP, Wilfried Martens, told the press on Monday 8 June. "The main lesson that we must learn from the increased presence of extremists, populists and Eurosceptics is that large pro-European families which, together with the founding fathers, created the project of European integration - the Christian Democrats, Social Democrats and Liberals - have an increased responsibility and obligation to work together", he said.
While the EPP would therefore be happy to continue the model of simple and sporadic technical cooperation as under the previous legislation, the outgoing leader of the ALDE Group, Graham Watson, hopes to go further and has suggested that the EPP create a "proper political and ideological centre-right alliance" based not on technical cooperation on a case-by-case basis, but on a genuine political programme. "I have already arranged a meeting with Joseph Daul (the leader of the EPP Group) and this issue will no doubt be raised", Mr Watson told a group of journalists on Monday. The new parliament will mostly be made up of centre-right MEPs and it would therefore be "logical" for this new parliament to be led by a "centre-right political majority", said Watson.
The Greens, the only group to have succeeded in increasing its number of MEPs, also pleaded in favour of an "alliance" in the new parliament - but one made up of the left wing and progressive parties. Daniel Cohn-Bendit, the outgoing co-president of the Greens, called on Monday for "cooperation between the forces of the left wing", in other words the Greens, Socialist Group, the European United Left (GUE/NGL) and, if possible, the Liberals of the ALDE. The main objective of an alliance of this kind would be to block the EP's approval of the highly likely application and appointment (by the European Council) of José Manuel Barroso to the presidency of the next European Commission. Cooperation could then be continued in other political areas. "There is the possibility of an alliance in the EP to carry out a policy and create a majority against Mr Barroso", said Mr Cohn-Bendit. When asked by the press on Monday about the involvement of the ALDE group in an "anti-Barroso" coalition of this kind, Graham Watson said that it was "not ruled out", although unlikely. "We will be discussing it" within the group, he said.
The Socialist Group in the EP, which was the big loser in the elections, has so far declined to comment on any possible cooperations or alliances. "The PES has an ambitious political programme with extremely specific demands, such as the introduction of a minimum wage at EU level, social protection of citizens, the fight against the economic crisis, climate change and a whole raft of other points listed in our Manifesto for the European elections. Of course, anybody who wants to get involved in defending this policy is most welcome", was all that a spokesperson for the PES would say. Exploratory contact with the other groups will take place over the next several days, but it is certainly far too early to talk about political strategies or possible alliances within the new assembly, he said. (H.B./transl.fl)