” “"The extension of the European Union" to 27 countries, "as well as the reunification of Germany, remain for me the miracle of this generation". Hans-Gert Poettering, who last January was appointed president of the EU Parliament, submitted his programmatic speech in Strasbourg this morning: the German politician will stay in office until the next election, in June 2009. In his speech, Poettering quoted Delors, Bartoszewski, Schuman, Kohl; he made reference to the fifty years’ EU integration process, re-proposed the Constitution as a "means to overcome the current deficiencies of the Union". He insisted on the central role of Parliament in the EU’s institutional architecture, heralding a reform of its internal organisation. But the president also lingered on the "need to respond, all together, to the challenges of globalisation", to "rediscover the roots of Europe and its values", so as to be able to "bear witness to" and "share" them with the rest of the world. "Our roots lie in Greek philosophy, Roman law and the Judaic-Christian tradition", he stated; they have shaped today’s Europe, which "is a multicultural and multi-religious continent". (to be continued) ” ” ” ” ” “
