Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-01-15-Speech-1-021"
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"en.20070115.9.1-021"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, let me start by joining in the congratulations to Mr Daul, who, I think, out of all the people in the plenary today, has taken on the most difficult job. I wish him much success in leading the not entirely straightforward group whose chairman he has now become. May your decisions, my dear Joseph, always be the right ones.
I welcome our new Members from Bulgaria and Romania. We in the Socialist Group in the European Parliament fought like no other in this House for the 1 January 2007 deadline to be retained, for, where the restoration of our continent’s unity in freedom, peace and – soon – undivided prosperity was concerned, we believed that the sooner it happened, the better. Today is a good day, for, from now on, our Bulgarian and Romanian friends are officially of our number, and that is also a success for our group.
There are two reasons, as I see it, why it matters that I should say a word of thanks to you, Mr Borrell. I shall start with a word of apology. I have to apologise to you for all the unspeakable meetings of the Conference of Presidents, which you, in the chair, had to sit through and suffer through, enduring me and my temperament, which is, of course, notoriously equable, and which you attempted to keep within bounds as you watched over the proceedings. You did not always get your way, and nor, for that matter, did I, so, speaking personally, I ask your indulgence for all the things I put you through.
I also, however, want to tell you, on behalf of the Socialist Group, that you made an extraordinarily dignified president for this Chamber. Within Europe and outside it, you brought great dignity to representing Europe and earned much respect for so doing. I was told by a member of the European Council that there is not one Head of State or Government who does not, at the councils of Heads of State or Government, listen attentively when Josep Borrell rises to speak, and there are two reasons for this, namely your personal dignity and the intelligent content of your speeches, to both of which, in equal measure, is attributable the fact that you were an outstanding representative of this freely-elected European institution.
We in the Socialist Group voted for you; many Members of this House put their trust in you, new and unknown as you were, and I think I can speak for everyone when I say, today, that you justified that trust in every way.
We, in the Socialist Group, rejoice that you are now returning to our ranks, to become, once more, an ordinary MEP. Everyone who knows you, knows that that is what you will be – an ordinary and unpretentious Member of this House – for you are capable of exercising high office and then returning to the anonymity of the ranks. It is that sort of personal modesty that is perhaps the distinguishing and outstanding characteristic of the personality that is Josep Borrell.
Many warm thanks, then, from me, on behalf of my group, for all that you have done for this House."@en1
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