In his speech at the parliament, for celebrating fifty years of the European Parliament, President Poettering recalled that "there are nevertheless limits to the action of this assembly", since it cannot rely on its own resources, and since it has no voice in relation to "highly important subjects such as common defence". The fact that "there is not a unique electoral method, yet, for the election of the European parliament" is also negative. Moreover, "the action of this parliament is based on respect for others", on respect for "diversities, which are the basis for mutual understanding", and for "rights", thus paying its contribution to strengthening democracy and peace. At the parliament, the current president of the Council, Slovenian Janez Jansa, and the president of the Commission, Portuguese José Manuel Barroso, also spoke. The latest said: "The institutional triangle of the Community has worked in these years. It did not respect the traditional divisions of powers, but it was able to join the community method with respect for subsidiariety. It proved to be able to govern the inner extension processes" relating to EU borders, and "the community power extension". "After 50 years, we can say that this parliament has its own history", as well as the potentialities to "pay its contribution to the future of united Europe".
