newsitems EU Vote : Strasbourg's Daul wins 3 landslides, guiding EPP in larger than expected European victory
EU Vote : Strasbourg's Daul wins 3 landslides, guiding EPP in larger than expected European victory
Guiding the largest Group of MEPs to a bigger than expected pan-European victory over exhausted or fragmented competitors, overcoming even the results of a scheduled split, and winning brillant scores at his home town : Strasbourg, region : Alsace, and country : France, Joseph Daul, the President of the European People's Party EPP/ChristianDemocrats, succeeded also to be both present in Brussels and Strasbourg at the same time, thanks to a duplex connexion...
Daul's EPP list got some 28%, clearly distancing PS' 23% in Strasbourg, despite a recently elected Socialist Mayor. More than 29%, compared to PS' less than 17%, in his Constituency : East. Some 33%, (i.e. almost double than "Greens"' 17% who follow), in his Region, Alsace. And his National Party : UMP clearly won in France with 28%, the PS following with only 16%, (equal to "Greens")..
More important, Daul's EPP Group inside EU Parliament, with some 265 MEPs kept a solid 1st place, much Higher than all other Groups, and even augmented its lead over Socialists, who lose many MEPs, falling down to some 160 MEPs only. Thus, he managed to succesfully overcome a scheduled split by British Conservatives and a few others who were added to various Independents at his right : About 90 MEPS searching an attachment. Most of them have already said that they would often vote together, according to selective agreements with the EPP Group.
In fact, it's Daul Group's Solidity, added to EPP candidate MEPs' gains in several EU Countries, which makes of the EPP a kind of "Center of Gravity" in the new EU Parliament (2009-2014), around which, various, more or less close circles of much smaller Groups can float, according to punctual or structural deals.
Many variations become, thus, possible : After losing more than 100 MEPs EU-wide, Socialists, with only 160 MEPs, cannot rely on a tiny (+6) augmentation of the small "Green" group (with only some 51 MEPs), nor on the diminished, 30 MEPs EuroLeft group, to challenge EU Parliament's powers wihout the EPP. But Liberals, despite losing some -20 MEPs, could, theoretically, add their remaining 80 MEPs to EPP's 265 MEPs or so, to get an absolute Majority. Unless EPP's 265-MEPs strong Group succeeds to attract at least some 70 MEPs from Small Groups as UEN, Ind/Dem and various others or Independents, which total more than 145 MEPs in all, to form another Majority, at the center-right..
Wisely, Daul has resisted to Journalists' questions in Strasbourg on who will be the next EU Parliament's President, (while also avoiding questions on EU Commission before June 7), arguying that "we must first see what the final outcome of the (June 2009) Elections will be".
Speculations focused on a choice between an agreement with Socialist Group's leader, Martin Schultz of Germany for a rotating presidency, as previously, or with Liberal Group's leader, Graham Watson from the UK. But other last-minute possibilities cannot be excluded.
If Cameron, the British Conservative party's leader, hadn't been pushed by some to try to make a small split Group out of the EPP (as in a remote Past), then, his MEPs would be Members of a most influential Group in EU Parliament, close to an Absolute Majority (EPP having, in this case, some 360 MEPs out of a total of 736)..
Schultz's confirmation, earlier to "EuroFora", that the PS would like to keep a "technical agreement" of the past with the EPP, (on a rotating chairmanship), wasn't a surprise. EU sources indicated that for the first 2,5 years, among EPP candidates might be vice-presidents Mario Mauro (Italy) or Poland's Buzek, etc., followed by PS' turn.
Watson is focusing on Political aspects : Contrary to usual talk, now, (particurly if Lisbon Treaty enters soon into force), "it's not so much who will be the President of EU Commission, (i.e. Baroso or someone else) which matters. Because EU needs Political leadership from EU Council (i.e. National Governments) and/or EU Parliament", he told "EuroFora".
(See related Newstories on EU Elections at "EuroFora.net")
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They voted to "freeze" UK Government's draft to put People in jail for 42 Days on "anti-terrorist" suspicion without charge, or they abstained. Don't they look suspect ?
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CoE's debate on UK controversy stirs PanEuropean check of anti-terror suspects' imprisonment
Former Leftists of the Sixties would boil in hot water if they heard PACE's debate on the controversial 42 days detention without charge, currently drafted by the British Government :
A "Socialist" Government, a Socialist PACE Rapporteur and a Socialist Chair of PACE's Legal Committee, opposed a .. "Conservative" amendment (supported by .. Liberals, Democrats, etc), to freeze the measure, in order to protect Citizens' Freedom, by "waiting" until CoE's Venice Committee checks its conformity with Human Rights' principles.
"Left"'s support to Conservative-Lib.Dem's criticism, wasn't enough to obtain a majority, nor to make things as they were back in the good old days, when "Left" and "Right" had a clear meaning, as "liberty" and "restrictions"...
Conservatives and most Democrats were joined by the Left in voting for the "freeze", as well as Liberal Paul Rowen, while Socialist MEP Ivan Popescu, an experienced MEP from Ukraine (PACE Member since 1996-2008) abstained. But most Socialists, added to a few Liberals and EPP's Right, voted against.
Fortunately, someone inside PACE had the wise idea to shorten the Debate for less than 1 Hour, and put it on the Agenda only at the end of an exceptionally busy day, towards the end of the Evening, when most MEPs had already gone to taste wins and foods at various Receptions all around Strasbourg's "European" area : As a result, not even 42 MEPs weren't present..
Socialist Lord Tomlinson accused the leaders of the PanEuropean Assembly, in its highest body : the "Bureau", to "lack wisdom" by deciding to hold a Debate on an issue that neither the Socialist Chair of the Legal Committee, nor its Socialist "reluctant Rapporteur", did "not want to do", ...
Finally, everybody (critics and supporters alike) was happy to agree, in substance, that the controversial measure "may" gravely violate Human Rights, and therefore, PACE asked Legal Experts of Venice Commission to check UK Government''s plans.
But this might take more than .. 42 Days to do, since PACE's Rapporteur asked the Experts to enlarge their study in a PanEuropean comparison of all that is happening on "anti-terrorism" legislation in 47 CoE Member Countries, including Russia, Turkey and Azerbaidjan..
Bad lack : "The existing 28 days’ detention without charge in the UK is, in comparison with other CoE member countries, one of the most extreme : In Turkey, the period is 7,5 days, in France 6 days, in Russia 5 days, and in .. the U.S. and Canada just 2 and 1 days respectively", denounced Democrat MEP Ms WOLDSETH from Norway..
"Numerous respected human rights organisations, including Liberty and Human Rights Watch, have expressed serious concern" "The proposed legislation ...could easily lead to extensive abuses. ...Detention for 42 days means six weeks in which one is taken away from one’s family, friends, home and livelihood only to be let off without being charged. That will destroy lives and isolate communities", she added.
- "3 years ago, the UK Government sought to increase the period of pre-charge detention from 14 days to 90 days. Not long before that, it had been only 7 days. There was a vigorous debate ...and a ...compromise was reached of 28 days. We have to ask whether there are proper safeguards in place to extend the period to 42 days. I suggest that there are fatal flaws", reminded British Conservative Clappison.
- "What sort of society holds someone in detention for 42 days and does not have to tell the person who is in prison why they are there, or explain the suspicions that arose and led to their detention? What sort of society believes that that is the way to treat its citizens? That is an appalling injustice, ...A 42-day detention period will not make the UK safer. Instead, it will be the first step to giving in to terrorists; it is saying that we are prepared to sacrifice our democratic rights and the principles for which we have stood for centuries", criticized British Liberal Michael Hanckock
"Comments made ...by Norwegian delegates are unfortunate", replied British Socialist MEP Ms.Curtis-Thomas, accusing them to "besmirch the reputation of our police force, which is one of the Best in the World", as she said, believing that "there are significant safeguards ...to ensure that individuals are not subjected to unlawful detention"
PACE "has serious doubts whether ...the draft legislation are in conformity with the ...case-law of the European Court of Human Rights. A lack of ..safeguards may lead to arbitrariness, resulting in breaches of ... liberty and ...right to a fair trial". PACE "is particularly concerned that: ..the judge ..may not be in a position to examine whether there exist reasonable grounds for suspecting that the arrested person has committed an offence;"; that "... representation by a lawyer may be inappropriately restricted or delayed;" that "information on the grounds for suspicion of a person ...may be unduly withheld.. ;" that this "may give rise to arrests without the intention to charge;", and; in general, that "prolonged detention without proper information on the grounds for arrest may constitute inhuman treatment", says Klaus De Vries' Report, adopted with 29 votes against zero.
Records don't say if it took him 42 Days to draft his Report, but, at least, he knew why...