STRASBOURG—Today members of the European Paliament elected 69-year-old former Polish Prime Minister and member of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, as president of the European Parliament, with 86 percent of the votes.
Jerzy Buzek is the first European Parliament president from Eastern Europe, following the EU’s inclusion of several Eastern European countries in 2004. Immediately after the vote, he said that this is “a measure of how Europe can change ... there is no you and us: we live in a shared Europe.”
With the election of Buzek, the majority of the European Parliament expressed its hope to make a huge step forward in the integration of Eastern and Western European countries. Joseph Daul, president of the European People’s Party, reacted to the election results, “Every member of the House is overjoyed that Europe is no longer split between East and West.” He described Mr. Buzek’s election as “a powerful symbol of unity.”
Jose Manuel Barosso, president of the European Commission, congratulated “the ideal candidate” personally and on behalf of the commission. According to Barosso the cooperation between the European Commission and European Parliament is the driving force for the success of the European Union, and he was looking forward to together building “A more powerful Europe based on solidarity”. Barosso also praised Buzek’s achievements in tearing down barriers, in favor of human rights and democracy.
Besides having been an academic lecturer and politician, Jerzky Buzek, has been a prominent member of the trade union “Solidarnosc” since 1980, which aimed at establishing human rights and democracy in communist Poland. After Poland had its first free elections in 1989, it became an example for other communist European countries. As prime minister of Poland, 1997–2001, he guided Poland into NATO, and prepared the country for integration into the EU. Buzek regards his victory as, “A tribute to the millions of people who didn’t bow to a hostile system.”
Buzek entered the European Parliament in 2004, shortly after his country joined the European Union.
The president of the European Parliament represents the parliament in its international relations and all legal matters for two and a half years. The president also has an informative function between the Parliament and the European Commission.
During the opening days in Strasbourg, the MEPs will discuss the results of the Czech presidency of the EU, will become familiar with the program of the Swedish Presidency of the EU until the end of the year, will discuss the situation in Iran and the European Union policy toward that country.
Additional reporting by Ekaterina Popova/Epoch Times Staff
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