Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-11-25-Speech-3-039"
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"en.20091125.6.3-039"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, on Thursday the European Union appointed Mr Van Rompuy as its first permanent President of the Council and Mrs Ashton to be in charge of European diplomacy. Ladies and gentlemen, I wanted to return to the debate that has been taking place in our institutions since these appointments were announced.
Indeed, in my opinion, beyond the issue of names and functions, there is the central issue of the States. Let me explain what I mean. We are witnessing what could be the worst nightmare of those who conveyed the ideal of the European Community and their desire for union. At that time, it was believed that the roots of the Union were to be found in state legitimacy and that its future lay in transcending national selfishness. Tension between two contradictory mediums, which is sometimes painful, often produces original mechanisms, but, above all, serves a political approach that is unique in the world.
This nightmare, ladies and gentlemen, is that of a Europe that would be limited to a community of intergovernmental acquisitions. The result, as we can see today, would be suspicion of incompetence, presumption of illegitimacy and tension between political families.
In making this speech, I do not intend, as you will have gathered, to return to making judgments on mere intent. I prefer to recall with you the rights and duties of we MEPs. Our duty is to question the impenetrable haggling that surrounds appointments to the posts that resulted from the Treaty of Lisbon. Our duty, in future, is to force the Council to put an end to this undemocratic, archaic method of appointment that fosters the idea that Europe, in building itself, is sheltered from the peoples.
Our duty is to use all our new parliamentary prerogatives to influence the policies that will result from the new powers guaranteed to us under the Treaty of Lisbon.
Parliament, between a weakened Commission and a strengthened intergovernmental centre, needs to become the institutional point of equilibrium. On this matter, I hope that the Vice-President of the Commission will be subject to the same hearing process by the European Parliament as the other commissioners. Indeed, we have a right to carry out this process; it is conferred by the treaties. I also support the proposal of Mrs Harms, who has suggested a meeting between the new President and the groups as a whole.
Our duty is to kick-start European integration, which is in a seriously bad way. No one can reasonably want the mandates entrusted to Mr Van Rompuy or Mrs Ashton to fail and, more especially, I wish Mrs Ashton every success because I am proud that a woman has been appointed to this post of High Representative."@en1
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