Squabble in Parliament
(Strasbourg) “You’re ludicrous. Today, the European Parliament is being ludicrous”. The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, says these words to the few MEPs who are there, at the European Parliament. Today’s plenary session in Strasbourg opened with a debate about the outcome of the Maltese presidency of the EU Council. But there are no more than about thirty MEPs to listen to the prime minister of Valletta, Joseph Muscat. After Muscat’s speech, the president of the EU Assembly, Antonio Tajani, gives the floor, as usual, to the president of the EU Commission. Who actually prefers not to give his speech and urge instead the European Parliament to be “serious”. “If president Macron or another leader of a big country had been here, the floor would have been full up. You are ludicrous. You must respect the presidents of smaller countries as well”. At this point, Tajani harshly calls Juncker to respect the EU Parliament. But Juncker won’t give up, he flings back his accusation, then, in a huff, he sits down. It is the first time such an institutional quarrel has happened at the European Parliament – where the tones are always fairly soft. Some political response is to be expected to arrive later today.
