Colourful notes” “

The first plenary session of the new European Parliament (EP) was held in Strasbourg from 20 to 22 July. Born from the European elections in June, it was the first EP with 732 MEPs representing the 25 countries of the Union. The Spanish Socialist Josep Borrell was designated to preside over the new EP on 20 July. The packed calendar of the work of the EP was enlivened with wisecracks and more humorous and colourful notes. Here are some of them. FAMILY PHOTO. The German HANS-GERT POETTERING, chairman of the European people’s Party (EPP) group, in his intervention to the EP summing up the achievements of the Irish Presidency, declared that this had proceeded in a “targeted, efficient and agreeable” manner, and he concluded with an observation on the “family photo” taken at the end of each European Council. The Presidents of the Parliament and of the Commission always appear on the sidelines of the group; “they ought, on the contrary, always to appear at the centre of the photo, and it isn’t a mere question of protocol”, he said. The outgoing President of the Commission ROMANO PRODI riposted by declaring that “though it’s important to be at the centre of the photograph, one could also remain at the two sides, embracing the States of the Union; this could assume an even stronger political significance”. A GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE AND WINGED METAPHORS. The Irish Presidency “bequeathed an important legacy to the Dutch Presidency: the European Constitution”, declared the English GRAHAM R. WATSON, of the Alliance of Democrats and Liberals for Europe (ADLE), on intervening in the debate that followed the presentation of the programme of activities of the Dutch Presidency by Dutch premier Jan Peter Balkenende. Promising ADLE’s support for the campaign in favour of the Constitution and expressing the hope that each European government would do likewise, he added: “If we don’t succeed in selling it [the Constitution], not a single glass of champagne was worth toasting at the Justus-Lipsius” (the building housing the general Secretariat of the EU Council). A WORK OF ART AND PARLIAMENTARY COMPLIMENTS. Referring to an exhibition of European artists being held in The Hague, the Dutch Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende said that, in the light of the low voter turnout in the recent elections, “Europe is not a work of art for citizens. There are groups that express scepticism about European integration and various criticisms are being made of the European project”. MONICA FRASSONI, of the group of the Greens, thanked the Irish Presidency “for the good-humoured and elegant way” with which it had conducted its six months in office, but pointed out that Foreign Minister Roche had never replied to the questions that the representative of the Greens had addressed to him. Hans-Gert POETTERING of the EPP group also thanked the Irish Presidency, which had proceeded in a “targeted, efficient and agreeable” way and extended his thanks to the outgoing President of the EP Pat Cox. BRIAN CROWLEY (UEN) said that “the most moving moment of the semester was when the ten flags of the new member states were raised in the residence of the Irish President…” IN THE HISTORY BOOKS BUT… Polish MEP Ryszard CZARNECKI (NI) made his inaugural speech by saying that “the Irish Presidency will end up in the history books as the one that made possible the greatest enlargement of the Union”. Referring to the Irish Prime Minister who had spoken of the new Europe, he exclaimed: “but we have existed for 1000 years! You should speak, rather, of the new European Union”. FOOTBALL METAPHORS. JEAN CLAUDE MARTINEZ (NI) in his intervention began by saying: “President Barroso, if the Portugal of Figo was unable to win the European Soccer Championship, will the Portugal of Barroso succeed in defeating the European Commission?”.