HD

The 13 December attack on Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was "no way to conduct a political dialogue", said EP President Jerzy Buzek opening this week's plenary session in Strasbourg.
"This is no way to conduct political dialogue" said President Buzek, strongly condemning the attack on Prime Minister Berlusconi and wishing him a swift recovery.

Sunday was also the 28th anniversary of the imposition of marshal law in Poland, during which almost 100 people had been killed, including 9 coal miners shot dead during a strike at the Wujek coal mine, and almost 10,000 supporters of democracy in Poland had been arrested, noted Mr Buzek.

Turning to the coming week's agenda in Strasbourg, Mr Buzek said that the Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought would be awarded to Oleg Orlov, Sergei Kovalev and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, on behalf of the Memorial organisation, which defends human rights in Russia, at midday on Wednesday 16 December.

Mr Buzek wished Parliament's members, support staff and friends Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and Happy New Year.

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