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Some moments during the European
Parliament plenary sessions are exciting and you appreciate being
there to hear them. The mini-plenary speech by the Czech President
Vaclav Klaus was always going to be controversial. His views and
dislike of the European Union are well known and recorded. For
those of us who had not heard him speak before it was interesting.
He started off on a positive note about the EU, speaking mildly and
calmly, and using speaking cards. Then his speech shifted gear when
he questioned whether the deputies democratically elected to serve
in the European Parliament were actually accountable. He rejected
calls for more power for the European Parliament. He drew on
comparisons with his experience of living under communist
dictatorship, and asserted that, if we were not careful, we could
relive this in Europe, inferring that the EU was akin to a
dictatorship.
Many MEPs walked out in disgust,
while those with eurosceptic leanings cheered on with glee.
President Klaus seemed to enjoy annoying those who disagreed with
him. However, his words on the current financial crisis caused the
greatest concern to those who stayed in the chamber. There was no
mention of the 25 million European citizens who may be facing
unemployment by the beginning of 2010, seven million more people
than are currently unemployed. He emphasised his belief in the free
market and his whole-hearted support for liberalisation and
de-regulation. He offered no solution to the current financial
crisis and no help to those facing financial hardship caused by the
very de-regulation which has created the crisis in the banking
sector across the EU in the first place. The only people who gave
President Klaus a standing ovation were extremists, eurosceptics
and several British Conservatives.
In responding, the President of the
Parliament, Hans Gert Pöttering, stole the show. He told the
Parliament and to the Czech President that in the past the Czech
President would not have been able to give this speech, which was
itself 'an expression of
the diversity in Europe', and that European
democracy offers us all a voice. He said that within the European
family we may have different views but that sometimes member states
need to ask themselves if certain decisions are best taken at a
European or regional level than at a member state level. He
concluded with a robust defence of the Parliament and its powers.
He won a standing ovation from the vast majority of the house and
really should be commended for his handling of the situation.
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Editorial - February 2009
