Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-05-25-Speech-3-038"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20050525.11.3-038"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen, there are debates in which one participates out of a sense of duty and responsibility towards European integration and its institutions, and this debate today is one of them.
The authors of the motion are not, in fact, concerned with José Manuel Durão Barroso as a person. It is an attack on the European institutions and on their credibility, particularly on that of the Commission. It is a personal vendetta, pursued with the improper purpose of bringing discredit upon the European institutions, and to do so only a few days before the referenda on the Constitution in France and the Netherlands.
Five Members belonging to the European Democrat element in this group signed this motion; they did so without informing, let alone consulting, the chairman of their national delegation or the Chairman of the group. Let me say here and now that these five Members have placed themselves outside the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats and no longer enjoy its solidarity.
I am addressing Mr Helmer when I say that there is no member of this group with whom I have had as much patience as with him. You, Mr Helmer, have just resigned your membership of the PPE
DE Group, and, out of respect for the dignity of every individual, let me say that I wish you personally all the best for the future.
Let me tell the House that we have confidence in the Commission and in its President. A fortnight ago, in what was for me one of the high points of my political endeavours here in this House – an overwhelming majority of us faced up to Europe’s past and, by adopting the resolution on the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, joined in a great majority decision to acknowledge the historic truth of Europe and set out on the road into the future. We are well aware of our responsibility, and we will not allow anyone to undermine our determination to keep on working on the labour of peace that is the integration of Europe. So, Mr President, you and your Commission may continue with your work, for we are right behind you!
Those who have tabled this motion of censure have done so on the basis of Article 201 of the Treaty establishing the European Community and of Rule 100 of our Rules of Procedure. Whilst respecting that right, we would also say that the authors of the motion, by availing themselves of it, devalue these rights by what is a self
evident misuse of them.
Along with the members of the other groups mentioned a short while ago, my friend Mr Brian Crowley, the Chairman of the Union for Europe of the Nations Group, has informed me that he endorses what we said on 13 May, that being that the action by the authors of this motion is wholly unjustified and utterly over
exaggerated.
To that, I would add today that I regard this motion as unworthy of decent human beings and as a politically transparent act of opposition to the integration of our continent.
As the President of the Commission has pointed out, and as I am well aware, the cruise took place in the second half of August. The Commission gave its approval for the project to which the motion refers on 23 September, this House voted to express its confidence in the Barroso Commission on 18 November, and the Commission took office on 22 November.
So it is clear that the responsibility for the approval on 23 September lay with the Commission under Romano Prodi. This shows how absurd this motion is and how it lacks credibility. So it is that this motion of censure collapses like a house of cards!"@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples