Liberals and Democrats propose Geremek as candidate for European Parliament President

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 7th Jul 2004

The bureau of the proposed Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group today unanimously decided to nominate Professor Bronislaw Geremek (Freedom Union/Poland) as its candidate for the Presidency of the European Parliament.

European Liberal Democrat leader Graham Watson MEP (Liberal Democrat/UK) commented:

"For anyone who knows the history of the solidarity Movement in Poland and the European revolutions of 1989, Professor Geremek is a hero of European democracy. As an MEP from one of the new Member States his candidacy is a powerful gesture of confidence in the new enlarged European Parliament and the new enlarged European Union. As a candidate he represents both an important period in Europe's recent past, and a strong vision for its future."

"His candidacy is also a signal that Liberals and Democrats, like voters, reject the backroom deals that threaten to neuter the European Parliament's political life. We want an open, transparent election which enables MEPs to choose the best possible person to be our President. I commend his candidacy to all sides of the House and I call on MEPs from groups whose political leaders have made up their minds for them to give him a fair hearing."

Professor Geremek accepted the nomination and said:

"I have accepted this candidacy for the presidency of the European Parliament as the symbolic expression of the new European Union after the 2004 elections. The fact that a former dissident, who fought for over fifteen years to transform his country and who represents one of the ten new Member States of the European Union, can be a candidate for the Presidency of the European Parliament seems to me to have a symbolic value that rises above the party political battle."

"I believe that my candidacy can give to those who are disappointed by the routine of party political competition the opportunity to raise their sights to the vision of a united Europe, its recent history and its future development. I am conscious of the difficulty of this task in the current situation. The European Union's new constitution gives to the European Parliament a new role. The European Parliament has made great strides in recent times in developing a central role in the EU's institutional system, and in establishing closer contact with European public opinion."

"The Parliament's main challenge is how to find a place for the European citizen in the functioning of the European institutions. Secondly, we have to see how we can strengthen the European Parliament's links with national parliaments and how the Parliament's legislative powers can be supported by improved co-operation with them. Thirdly, while improving its efficiency, we must ensure that Parliament becomes a forum for debate on the future of Europe in the face of an increase in public reticence towards European integration. It is up to Parliament to promote new initiatives and debates which would give citizens the feeling that they are participants in the life of their community."