Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-01-17-Speech-2-028-000"
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"en.20120117.4.2-028-000"2
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"Mr President – President Schulz – good morning to you. I know it is my job to congratulate you but, given that we knew this result two-and-a-half years ago, as a result of a stitch-up, there really does not seem to be much point. After all, nobody in modern-day Europe would ever have a big, powerful job that was decided upon by a full, open process. I am sure Mr Barroso would agree.
I was musing this morning. I was thinking about what kind of President Schulz we were going to get. Are we going to get a dignified, calm figure who behaves like the Speaker of all great parliaments around the world, somebody who puts himself above politics and the nitty-gritty of the day-to-day arguments and is an ambassador, indeed a statesman? Or are we going to get the Martin Schulz we have got to know since 2004 as leader of the Socialist Group? You know the one I mean: snarling, angry, unable to control his temper, intolerant of anybody with an alternative point of view, somebody who is contemptuous when, in free referendums, people have the temerity to vote ‘no’, somebody who is anti-British to his fingertips and does not like free markets? I was wondering which one we would get. Well, your opening speech has settled that question for me. It is pretty clear that we are going to have two-and-a-half years of political fanaticism from the Chair. I have to say that only a third-world country, only a banana republic, would want to have an overtly political President of a parliament, but that is what we have got.
Mr Schulz, I may represent the smallest group in this Parliament, but I can tell you that it is a group whose ideas and whose views are now being echoed by a growing number of citizens right across this continent. I am sure you would agree that the opinion polls show that it is about 50-50 whether people think this EU is a good thing or a bad thing. What we represent is not anti-Europeanism. That is not what it is about. We believe in nation-state democracy. We want a Europe of trade, we want a Europe of cooperation and we want a Europe that is responsible. We do not want a Europe that seeks to be a global superpower. We do not want a Europe run by Mr Barroso and the Commission, and the so-called Community method.
I will do my very best to provide political opposition to your Presidency over the next two-and-a-half years and I hope you give us a fair hearing."@en1
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