QuoteEuro 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!
:P
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).
He looks like the Eagle from the Muppet Show:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fnewsimg.bbc.co.uk%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2F46054000%2Fjpg%2F_46054194_jbuzekafp226body.jpg&hash=bd62b7ad2852852ba7f1dcdfe91cd15f356d70f6)
QuoteEuropean Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, a veteran Portuguese
There's your problem right there.
Hey, Europe is going to be run by a Portuguese and a Pole. What could possibly go wrong? :D
Bring back Jacques Delors!
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.
Quote from: Martinus on July 14, 2009, 07:08:21 AM
Hey, Europe is going to be run by a Portuguese and a Pole. What could possibly go wrong? :D
Gentlemen, the house is now taking bets on this statement: house favorite is one week before a cataclysm is caused. :P
Quote from: Martinus on July 14, 2009, 07:08:21 AM
Hey, Europe is going to be run by a Portuguese and a Pole. What could possibly go wrong? :D
And a Swede. If you don't behave we'll invade you again :ph34r:
Oops, we don't have any armed forces anymore, <_< Nevermind.