EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU leaders meeting for a summit in Brussels next week must appoint a new head of the European Commission and not delay the decision, said the current head of the institution and only candidate for the job, Jose Manuel Barroso. Mr Barroso, whose mandate expires at the end of October, said EU leaders should take a decision on the next commission president based on the bloc's current treaty, the Nice Treaty. French Green leader Daniel Cohn-Bendit has called Mr Barroso a political "chameleon" "It's up to the council [EU member states] and the European parliament to decide, of course based on the treaty, and the treaty in force at the moment is the Treaty of Nice," he said at a press conference in Brussels. "The European parliament was elected according to the Treaty of Nice," he stressed. But some member states, notably France and Germany, are reportedly favourable to delaying the decision and giving a simple "political backing" to Mr Barroso next week.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU leaders meeting for a summit in Brussels next week must appoint a new head of the European Commission and not delay the decision, said the current head of the institution and only candidate for the job, Jose Manuel Barroso.
Mr Barroso, whose mandate expires at the end of October, said EU leaders should take a decision on the next commission president based on the bloc's current treaty, the Nice Treaty.
French Green leader Daniel Cohn-Bendit has called Mr Barroso a political "chameleon"
"It's up to the council [EU member states] and the European parliament to decide, of course based on the treaty, and the treaty in force at the moment is the Treaty of Nice," he said at a press conference in Brussels.
"The European parliament was elected according to the Treaty of Nice," he stressed.
But some member states, notably France and Germany, are reportedly favourable to delaying the decision and giving a simple "political backing" to Mr Barroso next week.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday said they supported the re-election of European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso for a second five-year term. "Important personnel and policy decisions must be taken immediately. That is why Germany and France support Jose Manuel Barroso," Merkel said at a joint press conference with Sarkozy in Paris. There is a "strong desire" in the newly-elected EU Parliament that the choice of a new EC head should not take the entire summer, she said. "We will support the candidacy of Mr. Barroso, without ambiguity," Sarkozy said at a joint news conference at the Elysee presidential palace. But the support for the incumbent was not unconditional, Sarkozy added.
"Important personnel and policy decisions must be taken immediately. That is why Germany and France support Jose Manuel Barroso," Merkel said at a joint press conference with Sarkozy in Paris.
There is a "strong desire" in the newly-elected EU Parliament that the choice of a new EC head should not take the entire summer, she said.
"We will support the candidacy of Mr. Barroso, without ambiguity," Sarkozy said at a joint news conference at the Elysee presidential palace. But the support for the incumbent was not unconditional, Sarkozy added.
"Important personnel and policy decisions must be taken immediately.
Pre-emptively, is what you meant to say. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Leading European politician Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a dual citizen of Germany and France, argues in an interview that national political leaders are responsible for the miserable turnout in last week's election. The Green Party veteran says its time to create a real European election. SPIEGEL ONLINE: Many environmentalist parties gained seats in the European Parliament elections. France's Green Party, for whom you were a candidate this time, scored over 16 percent of the vote and has become France's second-biggest party in the European Parliament -- at least by a hair. Cohn-Bendit: We have become greener, but not green enough. Nevertheless, more Europeans than ever before now like our proposals for the environmental restructuring of our society. That is a reason for hope.
Leading European politician Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a dual citizen of Germany and France, argues in an interview that national political leaders are responsible for the miserable turnout in last week's election. The Green Party veteran says its time to create a real European election.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Many environmentalist parties gained seats in the European Parliament elections. France's Green Party, for whom you were a candidate this time, scored over 16 percent of the vote and has become France's second-biggest party in the European Parliament -- at least by a hair.
Cohn-Bendit: We have become greener, but not green enough. Nevertheless, more Europeans than ever before now like our proposals for the environmental restructuring of our society. That is a reason for hope.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Like chocolate and mustard, or orange juice and toothpaste, the various flavours of far right in the new European Parliament just don't seem to go together and are already having trouble cooking up a united bloc in the chamber, despite the gains the extremists made in the European elections on the weekend. Far right on the march, but maybe not so much in the European Parliament The `softer' far-right parties so far seem more interested in jumping aboard the UK Tories' proposed European Conservatives grouping than cobbling together a nationalist bloc, but it is an open question whether the attraction will be requited. The European elections on the weekend delivered a moderate advance of eight seats on the number of MEPs in the last parliament, eliciting fears that they might club together in a political grouping in the parliament, a move that would open a tap to thousands of euros in EU funds.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Like chocolate and mustard, or orange juice and toothpaste, the various flavours of far right in the new European Parliament just don't seem to go together and are already having trouble cooking up a united bloc in the chamber, despite the gains the extremists made in the European elections on the weekend.
Far right on the march, but maybe not so much in the European Parliament
The `softer' far-right parties so far seem more interested in jumping aboard the UK Tories' proposed European Conservatives grouping than cobbling together a nationalist bloc, but it is an open question whether the attraction will be requited.
The European elections on the weekend delivered a moderate advance of eight seats on the number of MEPs in the last parliament, eliciting fears that they might club together in a political grouping in the parliament, a move that would open a tap to thousands of euros in EU funds.
EUobserver / Far-right having difficulty clubbing together in EU parliament
The Vlaams Belang for its part has not had any discussions with any other parties to the right of the conservative mainstream and does not expect to do so for a few weeks. "We're waiting a bit to get involved in talks," said spokesperson Philip Claeys, "Many of the parties we would like to work with are currently in discussions with the UK Conservatives."
The Vlaams Belang for its part has not had any discussions with any other parties to the right of the conservative mainstream and does not expect to do so for a few weeks.
"We're waiting a bit to get involved in talks," said spokesperson Philip Claeys, "Many of the parties we would like to work with are currently in discussions with the UK Conservatives."
More:
On Tuesday (9 June), freshly elected MEP Morten Messerschmidt of the Danish People's Party was in Brussels meeting on Tuesday the Tories, who have announced they are to split with the European People's Party (EPP), the centre-right - and largest - grouping in the parliament.
First the PiS, now the DF -- when can we officially classify the Tories on the far right? Well, they don't want to be:
The Tories for their part are believed to be opposed to the entry of the xenophobic Northern League into their new club. "The only parties that would absolutely be excluded would be those that are too extreme, anti-semitic," he said, declining to name which parties he would define as too extreme.
The Tories for their part are believed to be opposed to the entry of the xenophobic Northern League into their new club.
"The only parties that would absolutely be excluded would be those that are too extreme, anti-semitic," he said, declining to name which parties he would define as too extreme.
Ummm, have they looked at the PiS more closely? *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
BBC NEWS | Politics | Blears: My resignation 'regrets'
Ex communities secretary Hazel Blears says she regrets "enormously" the timing of her shock resignation - just before local and European elections.The Salford MP said she thought as two other ministers had announced they would stand down, she could do so without sparking a "huge firestorm". "In the end, that judgement was wrong," she told the Manchester Evening News. She also said she regretted mocking the PM's YouTube video and wearing a badge saying "rocking the boat" as she quit. Her resignation as communities secretary was seen as a deliberate attempt to destabilise Gordon Brown on the eve of key elections.
Ex communities secretary Hazel Blears says she regrets "enormously" the timing of her shock resignation - just before local and European elections.
The Salford MP said she thought as two other ministers had announced they would stand down, she could do so without sparking a "huge firestorm".
"In the end, that judgement was wrong," she told the Manchester Evening News.
She also said she regretted mocking the PM's YouTube video and wearing a badge saying "rocking the boat" as she quit.
Her resignation as communities secretary was seen as a deliberate attempt to destabilise Gordon Brown on the eve of key elections.
This proves that:
a. Blears has the political instincts of a turnip.
b. Now that Gordo isn't going anywhere, she wants a cabinet job again.
