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Verbatim report of proceedings
Monday, 12 September 2011 - Strasbourg OJ edition

2. Statement by the President
Video of the speeches
Minutes
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  President. – Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome everyone back after the summer recess. I hope we have had a rest, although the break was different this time. During the recess, we followed the development of events in the Union and the world. They were important to us during the recess, too.

I was in constant touch with the Polish Presidency on measures related to the economic crisis. We discussed the situation as it developed and considered how we might react. As you know, a special sitting of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs was held on 29 August, and was attended by Commissioner Rehn, the President of the European Central Bank Mr Jean-Claude Trichet, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg and President of the Euro Group Mr Jean-Claude Juncker and the Polish Minister of Finance Mr Jan Vincent-Rostowski. In two days’ time, on Wednesday, we are going to discuss a report on the anti-crisis measures taken by the Commission, which will be presented by Mr Barroso, and at the end of September, at the next part-session, Parliament will have a visit from Mr Juncker.

Recent weeks have also brought us nearer to a successful end to the fighting in Libya. We can say with confidence that from the very beginning of these events the European Parliament supported the right side. Our unequivocal call for protection of the civilian population, which we made in a resolution adopted in March, was heeded. Now we must do everything possible for the European Union to be effective in helping the Libyan people rebuild their country, setting it on the road to democracy. I would also like to remind everyone that a debate on this subject has been scheduled for this part-session, when we will be able to discuss the matter more fully.

 
  
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  Guy Verhofstadt, on behalf of the ALDE Group. – Mr President, on a point of order, because you have mentioned everything that has happened concerning the euro crisis.

I want to put a question to you and also to ask what initiative we should take. Is it true that tomorrow we will see the Italian Prime Minister, Mr Berlusconi, here in Parliament? On what issue, I do not know and I shall not discuss the reasons for that, but my question is: is it true? And if it is true that you will see him, do you not think that it is necessary to ask that he also meet the competent committee about his austerity plan – that is the ECON Committee – as Mr Papandreou did? Mr Papandreou also came to Parliament about his austerity plan and then he came directly to the Crisis Committee to explain his plan. It was a very positive meeting.

I do not know why Mr Berlusconi is coming tomorrow, but if he is coming to see you concerning his austerity plan, my request to you is that he appear before the competent ECON Committee to explain his measures and the way Italy will apply the Stability Plan.

 
  
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  Rebecca Harms, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – (DE) Mr President, I would like to express my group’s support for Mr Verhofstadt’s intervention. However I would like to ask whether the European institutions are doing themselves any favours by meeting with Mr Berlusconi on the day he should actually be appearing in court in Italy to answer charges in connection with the prostitution of minors.

(Applause)

If we believe it important that the European institutions should be taken seriously in Italy – and this is now more important than ever – then we should not choose a procedure in relation to Mr Berlusconi that allows him once again to avoid appearing in court in Italy. Mr Busek and Mr Barroso, I would ask you to consider carefully whether Mr Berlusconi needs to meet with you on the very day that he is due to appear in court in Italy. These talks, including those with the committees mentioned, could surely be held on other days this week.

(The President cut off the speaker)

 
  
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  Mario Mauro, on behalf of the PPE Group.(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, first of all I acknowledge the proposal made by Mr Verhofstadt, which is perfectly reasonable in my view, and I am sure that if Parliament were to invite the Italian Prime Minister to any meeting that it might arrange, the Italian Government would make every effort to explain what action it is taking, as tomorrow’s visit by Prime Minister Berlusconi to the European institutions in fact shows.

I am however surprised, I must admit, by the threatening tone adopted by Ms Harms: let us remember that, whether people like him or not, Silvio Berlusconi is the Prime Minister of a country located in Europe, and it is in Europe because of its history and its love of democracy! Let us remember, too, that it is not the job of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance to decide who should meet the President of the European Parliament! It is not the job of the Group of the Greens to lecture people on democracy in this House!

I would therefore ask Ms Harms to be more measured and to remember that, as part of his visit to the European institutions tomorrow, Prime Minister Berlusconi has every right to request a meeting with the President of the European Parliament also.

(Applause)

 
  
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  Werner Langen (PPE).(DE) Mr President, is it true that Mr Berlusconi is due to turn up here tomorrow? I have just heard from Mr Mauro that he is planning to come here tomorrow so that he can be the first to congratulate Mr Schulz when he is nominated. Could this possibly be true?

(Laughter)

I have another concern, Mr President. An open session of the Conference of Presidents is to be held here in the Chamber on Wednesday from 14.00 to 15.30. We are due to curtail our plenary session to listen to an unelected, international official. Until now it was always the case that the Chamber was reserved for Heads of State and Government, Presidents-in-Office of the Council, etc. I find it outrageous that we should cut short our plenary session because someone in this House suggested listening to what an unelected official has to say instead. I would urgently request that you convene the plenary session at 15.00 and that the entire morning be dedicated to the debate on the debt crisis.

 
  
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  President. – That will be a matter for the Conference of Presidents to decide. Thank you for drawing attention to this. As for the first matter which was raised, the information I have received indicates that Mr Berlusconi is not making an official visit to the European Parliament. I do not have any information about an official visit of Mr Berlusconi to the European Parliament. I can assure you of this in all seriousness.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to move on to the next piece of information. Tomorrow we will welcome the President of the Republic of Poland, Mr Bronisław Komorowski, to the European Parliament. Poland currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Mr Komorowski will give an address at a formal sitting at 12.00.

Thursday 15 September is the United Nations’ International Day of Democracy. To ensure that democracy is not endangered, it needs to be permanently protected, cared for and promoted around the world. This is one of the main objectives of the work of the European Parliament, the most democratic of the EU’s institutions.

I will read the following information in English. I strongly condemn the violence organised on 2 July against our colleague, Sajjad Karim MEP, in the United Kingdom. His private house was attacked by around 30 protestors from an extremist organisation. They entered his property carrying anti-Islamic placards, while shouting at him and filming his house. Mr Karim was at home with his wife and children when this happened.

We must at all times be very clear and always strongly condemn such incidents, especially when they are hate crimes. Such threats to the freedom of speech of individual Members of Parliament are unacceptable. Mr Karim has been given a mandate in a democratic election by British citizens. Any attack on him and on his family is an attack on democracy and against his electorate. All necessary steps should be taken in order to protect Mr Karim in exercising his duties and enable him to enjoy freedom of speech and freedom of expression without being threatened, and to do his political work as a democratically elected representative.

Having expressed my support for our colleague in a letter I wrote to Prime Minister Cameron, today I publicly reaffirm my full support for you, Mr Karim, and for all victims of discrimination. This Parliament stands beside you in defence of our common values.

(Applause)

I met our colleague Mr Karim personally a few weeks ago, before the holidays.

 
  
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  Niccolò Rinaldi (ALDE).(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I should like to return to the previous point, namely Prime Minister Berlusconi’s visit to this institution, because, as we have learnt, it is already the subject of jibes and ridicule.

I should just like to know, Mr President – in the light of your explanation that there has been no official request for a meeting and that there will be no official visit by the Italian Prime Minister to the European Parliament – whether you will be meeting him and what the status of that meeting would be, tomorrow, during a visit which, I can assure you, most members of the public in our country regard as something of a mockery, given that the Prime Minister was due to appear in court in Naples tomorrow.

(Applause)

 
  
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  Mario Mauro (PPE).(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I think it is only right that you should inform the House of the circumstances of this visit; that way, we can end this farce, because the current attempt to attack the Italian Government in Europe has nothing to do with the purpose of Mr Berlusconi’s visit tomorrow to the European institutions. Furthermore, I should like to point out that I do not understand why this issue has been raised, given that the courts have already said that they will confirm another date for that meeting with Prime Minister Berlusconi.

 
  
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  President. – Allow me to explain the matter very clearly. In answer to the question asked a moment ago by Mr Rinaldi, I have not received a proposal or a request concerning an official visit of Mr Berlusconi to the European Parliament. It cannot be ruled out that since the Prime Minister is due to be in Parliament tomorrow, if he actually does come here tomorrow, a courtesy meeting of a few minutes may take place. I cannot rule this out, but I have not received any kind of request for an official meeting. I am saying this again very clearly.

I would also like to say that tomorrow we are receiving the President of the Republic of Poland. I am busy tomorrow afternoon with receiving our guest, and as things stand, I am quite unable to add to the programme any kind of longer visit by the Prime Minister of Italy. That is the situation as it is at the moment. I would like to ask you all to end this discussion. I have told you everything I know about the matter. Please let us end this discussion. I think we can end the discussion here.

 
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