Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-11-25-Speech-3-014"
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"en.20091125.6.3-014"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, both present and absent, in the last few days following the European Council meeting, we have talked a great deal about people and posts. Once again, I would like to direct my remarks today at you, Mr Barroso. It is important for us to discuss people and positions. As far as the posts are concerned, our group had one clear priority. We said that, as the second largest group in this House, we wanted the second position in the Commission, in other words, the High Representative who acts as Vice-President of the Commission, to come from our party. This is because we believe that the Commission, which is not a neutral organisation, but a political body, should reflect the reality of this Parliament. We have achieved what we have been fighting for. I know that you have also been fighting for this and that is why I would like to offer you my sincere thanks, despite the criticism that you usually receive in this House from me.
This sends out a positive signal because it indicates that the claim that we, as social democrats, make in this House is taken seriously by you, because we still have some distance to go before the final vote on the Commission. We also expect the structure of the portfolios that you will establish for the individual commissioners to reflect the content and the challenges which these people are faced with. In my opinion, this is much more important than the debate about posts and people.
Of course, we are pleased that Cathy Ashton now holds the position of High Representative. Enough has been said about Mr Van Rompuy and I agree with the previous speakers. However, much more important than this is the question of which tasks these people will be responsible for carrying out. I do not believe that the citizens of Europe have any serious interest in the way in which Mr Van Rompuy and Baroness Ashton were elected. However, the question of how we can reduce unemployment, which is currently rising and not falling in Europe, is an important issue. People are interested in the question of whether we can really still prevent climate change and whether Copenhagen will be a failure or a success. Nevertheless, this is not enough. In my opinion, we are not talking enough about climate change. We are not having sufficient discussions about the fact that, for example, in overcoming climate change and investing in environmentally friendly technology in industry, there is huge potential for job creation, that green technology is a project for the future and that industrial policy and protecting the environment are not mutually exclusive, but can be combined with one another.
The ideas that you have presented here about the structure of the Commission are pointing in the right direction. This is an issue which needs to be resolved in Copenhagen in just the same way as the global health policy, the question of whether Europe should show solidarity with a dying continent like Africa, combating aids and opening up resources for the future. Can Europe’s energy security problems be solved peacefully? Or are we threatened by intensifying conflicts on Europe’s borders resulting from the purchase of gas, oil and other raw materials? This is a job for the High Representative of the European Union. The question of bringing the financial markets under control is a primary objective of European policy, because it is truly scandalous that, in the middle of the phase when the taxpayers of Europe continue to be responsible for the follow-up costs of the crisis, the casino has opened again and the gamblers have once more started travelling around the world. In this case, we do not need a debate about the allocation of posts, but clear rules for the financial markets in the European Union. That is much more important.
This is why I am saying that, yes, Herman Van Rompuy and Cathy Ashton have been elected, but now they need to get on with their jobs and the Commission has to be set up. Therefore, I would like finally to repeat my remarks to Mr Barroso. We social democrats have discussed our ideas with you. One of our requests has been fulfilled to our satisfaction, that is the position of the High Representative. We assume that the environmental, social and financial policy structure of your Commission will correspond with what the social democrats are asking from you, preferably under the leadership of social democratic commissioners, and then all will be well."@en1
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