Brussels, 25/06/2009 (Agence Europe) - The Socialist Group at the European Parliament (now called the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, PASD) is ready to conclude a technical agreement with the EPP Group on sharing the presidency of the Parliament and parliamentary committees, but it categorically refuses to agree, in exchange, that the European Parliament should vote in July on José Manuel Barroso's candidature at the head of the next European Commission. This is what Martin Schulz, re-elected at the head of the Socialist Group on Tuesday, told a small group of reporters on Thursday 25 June. “I refuse to link the European Parliament presidency to the Parliament's vote on Barroso”, he said. The new Parliament has become “very complicated” without a centre right or centre left majority, with a large number of eurosceptics and even anti-democrats, and it is therefore of the utmost importance that the Socialist Group and the EPP seek consensus on the institutional questions of the EP without linking this issue to that of the Commission, Mr Schulz explained. Joseph Daul, who heads the EPP Group, told the press on Wednesday that he was planning to suggest that Socialists renew their technical agreement on sharing Parliament presidency but only if the Socialist Group agrees to vote on Mr Barroso on 15 July (see EUROPE 9928). “This offer that I know about only because I read the press is indecent”, Mr Schulz replied. Mr Daul has also pointed out that the EPP might conclude a technical agreement with the Liberal Group (ALDE) and vote on Barroso in July with the support of the new Conservative and Eurosceptic group. Mr Schulz finds the idea amusing. “Has the EPP got rid of the British Tories to immediately run after them and submit to their blackmail? No, the Conservatives cannot become the decisive group for creating majorities in this Parliament”, he said.
Mr Schulz's group will therefore be opposed to a vote on Mr Barroso in July. It will clearly state this view to the upcoming president of the European Council, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, who will receive the leaders of the EP political groups for consultation on 6 July in Stockholm. Mr Schulz will also defend this position during the EP Conference of Presidents scheduled to meet on 8 July (and not on 9 July) in Brussels to fix the agenda for the constitutive plenary session from 14-16 July. The Socialists would like the vote on the European Council's “official candidate” - once this candidature has become official (for now, the leaders have not made any political recommendation in favour of Mr Barroso) - to be held in September or October, leaving the EP sufficient time to discuss the programme put forward by this candidate. Mr Schulz believes Mr Barroso is not a good candidate. “Mr Barroso represents a policy that has failed. He has weakened the Commission. The EU needs political renewal that Mr Barroso cannot bring”, he said. If Mr Barroso wants the support of the Socialists this autumn, then he must make major concessions and agree to include in his programme the main Socialist demands expressed in their manifesto adopted in Madrid before the European elections, among other things on financial market regulation, amendment of the directive on posted workers and inclusion in the treaty of a protocol on social progress (to be ratified by member states at the time of the next enlargement). On all these points, the Socialist Group calls for “binding commitment” on the part of the next Commission president. “I expect Mr Barroso will acknowledge his mistakes and agree to change his programme. But I have doubts about his ability to do so. We shall see what happens in September”, Mr Schulz concluded. (H.B./transl.jl)