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The President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, will participate in the festivities marking the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Sunday 8 and Monday 9 November in Berlin.

Speaking ahead of the visit to Berlin, EP President Jerzy Buzek said: "Before 1989, we lived in a "Europe of Walls", a divided Europe. There is no freedom without solidarity and this is as true today as it was when I was involved in the Solidarność movement in the 1980s.  The fall of the Berlin Wall symbolised the collapse of the Iron Curtain.  We must recognise the bravery of those peaceful demonstrators who risked their lives and eventually brought down the Berlin Wall. We should never forget the victims and suffering caused by Communist regimes."


8 November:
Speech at Bundestag

EP President Jerzy Buzek will give a keynote speech at the official ceremony organised by the German Parliament, on Sunday 8 November in the Bundestag.  President Buzek is invited by the President of the Bundestag, Dr. Norbert Lammert.

German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, as well as members of the German Government will also be present.


9 November:
Official celebrations - "Pushing of giant domino" - Re-enacting the fall of the Berlin Wall

EP President Buzek will be the official guest of the German government at the festivities planned for 9 November in Berlin.  The Heads of State and government of the 27 EU Member States and the non-European representatives of the "four allies" - US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will also be present.

The main event of the day will be the symbolical re-enactment of the fall of the Berlin Wall with the toppling of 1000 giant dominoes.  EP President Jerzy Buzek will push the domino representing the European Union.

Jerzy Buzek is a former Polish Prime Minister, former chairman of the Solidarność founding congress and today the President of the European Parliament.

Recalling the crucial role of the Polish Trade Union Solidarność in the fight for freedom, Solidarność co-founder and former Polish President Lech Wałęsa will push the first domino.


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Note to editors:
The speech and concert on 8 November will be broadcast exclusively live by German Radio Station Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) (Sunday, 8 November as of 20.00 hrs).

The  event  will  be  covered  by  Europe  by  Satellite  and  broadcast  on  8  November  at  22.00:
http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/ebs/schedule.cfm?page=3&date=11/08/2009&institution=0

And on 9 November at 17.30:
http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/ebs/schedule.cfm?page=1&date=11/09/2009&institution=0

Also available on an ftp-server:
ftp://ftpeps01.europarl.eu.int/epavvideo/cabinetpresident/Buzek_BerlinWall/


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For further information:
Inga Rosińska, Spokeswoman
Mobile: +32 498 981 354
Daniela Senk, Press Officer
Mobile: +32 498 981348