Only with solidarity

The German MEP Martin Schulz comes from Hehlrath, a little town not far from the Dutch and Belgian border, where he was born in 1955, and of which he long served as mayor; married, with two children, he has a self-declared passion for books, history and football (he’s a long-standing supporter of F.C. Köln in the German Bundesliga). An MEP since 1994, and outgoing head of the Socialists & Democrats group, Martin Schulz became the new President of the European Parliament on 17 January. “I wish to be the president of all MEPs”, he declared in his acceptance speech. He then paid generous tribute to his predecessor, the Polish Jerzy Buzek: “You represented as no one else the unity of Europe”, said Schulz.Elected on the first ballot. A man with a pronounced human and political temperament (described by some as “prickly”), with great powers of communication, a convinced pro-European, Schulz was elected by secret ballot on the first vote, obtaining 387 votes: the necessary majority for immediate election was 336 votes in his favour (699 ballots were cast, 29 declared invalid, 670 valid). The other two candidates were the British Conservative Nirj Deva, who received 142 votes and the British Liberal-Democrat Diana Wallis, who received 141. Schulz was elected thanks to a deal between the two main political parties in the EP: the European People’s Party and the Socialist & Democratic group (who together count for 460 votes). The President will remain in office down to 2014, and will accompany the Parliament to its forthcoming elections. “Europe is going through a turbulent moment – said Schulz in the chamber immediately after the proclamation of the results -, today we have no certainty that our children will be able to enjoy the same living standards as we do. Poverty and unemployment are striking Europeans and especially the young”. “Anonymous ratings agencies are threatening our economies and the stability” of Europe. That’s why “a strong and common response by the EU is needed”, beginning with the definition of the “fiscal compact”, in which “budgetary discipline needs to be reconciled with growth and employment”.Community method. It was Schulz himself who announced that on the following day, 18 January, the Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban would be present in Strasbourg for the debate in the chamber on the situation in Budapest and to respond to the doubts expressed and the concerns raised in Europe about the latest laws approved by the Hungarian government. “Each country of the Union – said the newly elected President in this regard – must respect the European values upheld in the Lisbon Treaty and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights”. In his first official speech, the German politician asserted that “citizens sometimes follow our work with mistrust and await results that respond to their everyday problems”, in relation to work for their children, health, consumer protection, security… “We must do more to listen to the voice of citizens”. Schulz then observed: “for the first time since it was founded the failure of the European Union is a realistic possibility: the Union lurches from one summit to the next without finding a real solution to the crisis. There’s a danger of returning to the times of the Congress of Vienna, with the imposition of some national interests that prevail over other national interests”. The response must come instead, insisted the President, from the “community method, which is the very soul of the Union. Conflicts and problems must be resolved with dialogue and consensus; we need to mediate between different interests, posing as our principal objective the European common good” within a global scenario. “Rigour and growth”. The President of the Parliament plays an important role in ensuring the proper functioning of the institution which is elected by European citizens by universal suffrage, and which enjoys within the Union both legislative and budgetary powers shared with the European Council. It also has a power of “democratic control” over the entire process of integration. The President in fact presides over the plenary sessions and guides the conference of the heads of the political groups, which is the body responsible for defining the order of the day for the work of the EP. He is charged with ensuring compliance with the internal regulations and the Code of Conduct of MEPs, drawn up in 2011. The President also brings the position of the Parliament to every meeting of the European Council, on which sit the 27 heads of state and of government of the Union. He signs off the budget of the EU and legislative documents. “It is time for the Parliament to participate by full entitlement in the Council’s sessions”, declared Schulz soon after his election, claiming further powers for the EP within the institutional framework of the EU, “because it’s here, in the chamber, that the representatives directly elected by European citizens sit”. In his speech Schulz referred to the successes of the historic process of integration, and once again emphasized the delicacy of “of this phase, which we can overcome only with solidarity” between member countries. Then, meeting the representatives present in Strasbourg, Schulz reaffirmed his conviction of the need to give voice to civil society and political opposition in Hungary; lastly he maintained that Germany “is already doing a great deal to restore stability” to the Eurozone and that further efforts are possible, provided that “precise guarantees and commitments are put in place to ensure that all States play their part in maintaining budgetary rigour and supporting growth with appropriate reforms”.