Euro parliament elects new leader

[Martinus]

Euro parliament elects new leader
The European Parliament has elected former Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek as the chamber's president.

The vote on the 69-year-old Polish conservative was the first job of the newly-elected parliament in Strasbourg.

Mr Buzek is the first politician from the former communist bloc to chair the parliament. He received 555 votes in a first ballot.

The elections last month produced an assembly of 736 MEPs with the centre-right forming the biggest bloc.

Mr Buzek headed a coalition government in Poland in 1997-2001. He joined the European Parliament in 2004, the year of Poland's EU accession.

"Human rights will be a priority," Mr Buzek told MEPs, recalling the key role of the Solidarity trade union movement in democratising Poland in the 1980s.

He replaced German conservative Hans-Gert Poettering as parliament president. In the vote, Eva-Britt Svensson MEP, a Swedish leftist, came second with 89 votes.

Mr Buzek will hold the post for two-and-a-half years - half of the parliament's five-year mandate. Under a deal struck before Tuesday's vote, a Socialist MEP will serve as president for the other half.

"We have to realise that we're in a crisis now. Europeans are expecting a resolution of this problem," he said.

MEPs will postpone for at least two months a vote on reappointing European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, a veteran Portuguese conservative.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8148729.stm

POLSKA! POLSKA! POLSKA!



Overall, the guy is alright. He is a moderate, not a Catholic (he is a Lutheran), and while a conservative, he supports civil unions and shit. Also, apparently the most popular MEP in Poland (got most votes of all Poles).

[Martinus]

He looks like the Eagle from the Muppet Show:

[Ed Anger]

European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, a veteran Portuguese

There's your problem right there.

[Martinus]

Hey, Europe is going to be run by a Portuguese and a Pole. What could possibly go wrong?

[Richard Hakluyt]

Bring back Jacques Delors!

[Valmy]

Finally Poland has returned to having an elected figurehead have theoretical control over vast parts of Europe.

Each of the member states even has a liberum veto.

[DontSayBanana]

Hey, Europe is going to be run by a Portuguese and a Pole. What could possibly go wrong?

Gentlemen, the house is now taking bets on this statement: house favorite is one week before a cataclysm is caused.

[Gambrinus]

Hey, Europe is going to be run by a Portuguese and a Pole. What could possibly go wrong?

And a Swede. If you don't behave we'll invade you again 

Oops, we don't have any armed forces anymore,  Nevermind.