Pillars of the Community

More speeches than legislation; many projects, less concrete decisions: The plenary session of the European Parliament, held in Strasbourg from 15 to 18 January, was characterised by the welcome given to the new MEPs from Bulgaria and Romania, by the election of the President of the EP and by the debate on the programme of work presented by the current German Presidency of the European Council. Democracy has its own pace, even its own “liturgies”… THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS. The 61-year-old HANS-GERT POETTERING , German jurist, hitherto leader of the People’s Party group, was elected to succeed the Spanish Socialist Josep Borrell as President of the European Parliament. In his opening statement he explained: “The first task for all of us is to act in such a way that the EU be closer to citizens”. We also need, he said, to convince ourselves that “the Union is not only an economic market, but also a community of values”. Poettering was elected on the first ballot, thanks to a deal between the two largest groups, the European People’s Party and the Socialists. He will remain in office until the next European elections in June 2009. He obtained 450 out of 689 valid votes (there were 715 ballot papers, of which 26 left empty or disqualified). The other candidates were the Italian Monica Frassoni, co-president of the Greens (145 votes); the French leader of the Unified Left Francis Wurtz (48); and the Danish head of the Independence group Jens-Peter Bonde (46). The new President added: “My contribution will also be aimed at salvaging the substance of the draft Constitution”, which is essential “to proceed with the reforms that so enlarged a European Union needs”. Another objective of his term of office concerns “cultural dialogue with the Arab world and with Islam”, relations with Israel “and with the whole Mediterranean area”. PRINCIPLE OF SOLIDARITY. In his inaugural speech, Poettering recalled two “important appointments that await us: First, the summit in Berlin on 25 March, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the EEC Treaties. On that occasion, a Declaration will be issued on the future of Europe, signed by Parliament, Council and Commission, in which the principle of solidarity between the European peoples shall be confirmed”. Second, Poettering continued, “the Council in June shall determine the next political and institutional steps on the Constitution”. A question to the German politician is, at this point, prompted: will the question of the Christian roots of the continent be revived? “I did all I could in my time to ensure that the Christian heritage be inserted in the Constitutional Treaty – he replies -. Now, as President of the EP, I have to represent the position of the majority in the Assembly, whose view on this question does not coincide with my own”. TOLERANCE, SOUL OF EUROPE. There were great expectations in Strasbourg also for the meeting with ANGELA MERKEL . The German Chancellor, President of the European Council for the next six months, outlined her programme with a wide-ranging report that took its cue from the history of European integration; she then recalled the “pillars” of the Community, including peace, freedom “in all its facets”, “multiplicity” and responsibility. Merkel maintained that the real “soul of Europe is tolerance”. On the other hand, Merkel admitted the EU is encountering “various difficulties” today and progress seems to be stalled “just at the time when globalization would require maximum solidarity” between the countries of the old continent. That’s why the motto chosen by the German Presidency is: “Europe succeeds together”. AIMING AT RESULTS. On the constitutional question Merkel has pledged to define a calendar for the final ratification of the Constitutional Treaty, “which ought to take place before the elections of the European Parliament in 2009. A new failure on this front would in fact be an historic error”. According to the German Presidency of the Council, “the time for reflection is over. We need to take action; we need to aim at concrete results”. The programme for the German semester contains various chapters. An ample part is dedicated to “external relations”, which touch on the Western Balkans, the Middle East, “good neighbourhood policy”, partnership with the USA, relations with Russia and “the African question”. In her speech to the EP, the German Chancellor also insisted on the Lisbon Strategy: “The economic growth we are experiencing in this phase cannot be an end in itself – she urged -. We must aim at the creation of jobs and greater social cohesion”. That’s why we need to focus “on research, innovation, and technology, but also on talent and imagination”. These are all questions on which decisions are awaited from the summits of 8/9 March (energy, economy, employment) and that of 21/22 June (Constitutional Treaty).