The PES continues to oppose Barroso - and a rushed decision on the Commission Preside

[Politics.be]

We said it before the election, and after the election we are saying exactly the same: the PES cannot support a reelection of Barroso.

Now more than ever, Europe needs a fundamental change of direction and real crisis management. After the election, the PES is the second largest group in the European Parliament, and we are by no means the only ones who oppose another five years of Barroso. He is the candidate of the EPP and now, as before, his reelection is far from being a ‘done deal'.

Things must be done properly, transparently, and in full respect of the European Parliament. An early appointment would undermine both the next Commission and the next European Parliament:

We must remember that parliamentary ratification of the Lisbon Treaty has been completed in 26 member states. Taking decisions on the next Commission and its President before the autumn Irish referendum would mean doing so under two different treaties - Lisbon and Nice - seriously damaging its legitimacy.

Meanwhile this would also mean total lack of respect of the European Parliament: the European Council needs to postpone its plans to make a decision at the June 18th - 19th summit in order to respect the role of the Parliament - democratically chosen by millions of European voters just days ago - in the composition of the new Commission. After all, in its resolution of 7th May 2009, the Parliament (led by EPP rapporteur Jean-Luc Dehaene) clearly states that it insists on being fully consulted prior to any European Council nomination of a President to the European Commission. That's why we must allow time: for the new Parliament to be established, for likely candidates to emerge, and for the treaty under which the next Commission will operate to become clear.

So let's do things correctly, democratically and coherently - with full democratic legitimacy.


Bron: politics.be

[Kallikles]

Weg met Barroso!

[Kallikles]

Alles beter dan Barroso!

[Sjaax]

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door Politics.be

We said it before the election, and after the election we are saying exactly the same: the PES cannot support a reelection of Barroso.

Now more than ever, Europe needs a fundamental change of direction and real crisis management. After the election, the PES is the second largest group in the European Parliament, and we are by no means the only ones who oppose another five years of Barroso. He is the candidate of the EPP and now, as before, his reelection is far from being a ‘done deal'.

Things must be done properly, transparently, and in full respect of the European Parliament. An early appointment would undermine both the next Commission and the next European Parliament:

We must remember that parliamentary ratification of the Lisbon Treaty has been completed in 26 member states. Taking decisions on the next Commission and its President before the autumn Irish referendum would mean doing so under two different treaties - Lisbon and Nice - seriously damaging its legitimacy.

Meanwhile this would also mean total lack of respect of the European Parliament: the European Council needs to postpone its plans to make a decision at the June 18th - 19th summit in order to respect the role of the Parliament - democratically chosen by millions of European voters just days ago - in the composition of the new Commission. After all, in its resolution of 7th May 2009, the Parliament (led by EPP rapporteur Jean-Luc Dehaene) clearly states that it insists on being fully consulted prior to any European Council nomination of a President to the European Commission. That's why we must allow time: for the new Parliament to be established, for likely candidates to emerge, and for the treaty under which the next Commission will operate to become clear.

So let's do things correctly, democratically and coherently - with full democratic legitimacy.


Bron: politics.be

De PES is te klein geworden. Zij zal te weinig steun in het parlement kunnen krijgen. Waar voorheen de stem van de PES substantieel was om beslissingen te kunnen nemen, is dat in het nieuwe parlement niet meer. De EVP en de Conservatieven, met wat rechtse onafhankelijken kunnen domineren.

[roger verhiest]

.... maar zullen het waarschijnlijk niet doen :

- De taktiek "verdeel en heers" dwz. zorgen voor zgn "wisselmeerderheden"
- De stijgende affiniteit tussen de "groene" strekking met zowel liberalen nals christen democraten, is een zich aarzelend doorzettende trend (Brussel, Hamburg...)

De PES moet zich beraden over de te volgen lijn : ofwel aanleunen bij de ADE en EVP,
ofwel zich eerder op een "links blok" richten samen met "Groen" en de Linkse Socialisten
resp. de oude kommunisten.

In diverse perscommentaren wordt het zgn "Socialisme van de derde weg (Blair, Bos, Vandenbroucke, Schmidt, Zapatero e.a.) afgeschreven en gepleit voor een terugkeer naar de arbeidersklasse. Perszoonlijk geloof ik niet dat de beweging daar reeds "rijp" voor is, ondanks het feit dat de verwijdering van de vakbeweging gewoon een feit is.

Ook interessant is de beginnende verbrokkeling van de EVP in een conservatieve en meer sociale-ethische vleugel - ik denk dat sommige mensen met grote verwondering
in dezelfde fractie zitten (wat de fracties als dusdanig overigens verzwakt).