Il Popolo della Libertà
BRUXELLES
On 9th & 10th of December 2009 the European People’s Party will be holding its Statutory Congress in Bonn, Germany. The event, that will take place in World Conference Center Bonn (former German Bundestag) is our first major political event following our great success in the June European elections, where the citizens gave us the mandate to address the manifold and complex challenges that Europe faces today, such as the economic and financial crisis.
Hosted by EPP President and former Prime Minister Wilfried MARTENS and CDU/CSU Germany, over 1500 delegates are expected to participate as well as 12 EU and 5 non-EU heads of state and government including: Jan-Peter BALKENENDE (Prime Minister of the Netherlands), Traian BASESCU (President of Romania), Silvio BERLUSCONI (Prime Minister of Italy), Boyko BORISSOV (Prime Minister of Bulgaria), Valdis DOMBROVSKIS (Prime Minister of Latvia), Francois FILLON (Prime Minister of France), Lawrence GONZI (Prime Minister of Malta), Jean-Claude JUNCKER (Prime Minister of Luxemburg), Yves LETERME (Prime Minister of Belgium), Angela MERKEL (Federal Chancellor of Germany), Donald TUSK (Prime Minister of Poland), Fredrik REINFELDT (Prime Minister of Sweden), Sali BERISHA (Prime Minister of Albania), Nikola GRUEVSKI (Prime Minister of FYROM), Jadranka KOSOR (Prime Minister of Croatia), Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (President of Georgia), Yulia TYMOSHENKO (Prime Minister of Ukraine) and others. The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel BARROSO, the President of the European Parliament Jerzy BUZEK and the Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Joseph DAUL, will also attend.
At the Bonn Congress, hosted by the CDU/CSU Germany, the EPP will make important contributions to Europe’s political agenda for the years to come and will guide the way towards sustainable economic recovery and further integration of Europe.
The EPP site The EPP Congress in Bonn site
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December, 06 2009
How the European People’s Party conquered Europe,
and fights off misperceptions
Interview with: Wilfried Martens
President of the European People's Party EPP-ED
In June 2009, the EPP won its third victory in a row in the European elections. What is the key to EPP’s success?
First of all, thank you for inviting me again to New Europe. Regarding our victory, I’m particularly pleased that the EPP and our parties were victorious in most EU member-states and that the difference between us and the Socialists was larger than ever; this is truly unprecedented. Moreover, we currently have 13 out of 27 EU heads of state and government and we are leading all 3 main EU institutions: the Commission with Jose Manuel Barroso, the Parliament with Jerzy Buzek, and now that the Lisbon Treaty is in force, the Council with Herman Van Rompuy. Clearly, Europe is embracing the centre-right policies of the EPP.
But how does the EPP manage to become stronger at a moment where Europe is in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the 2nd World War?
This misperception has been systematically fueled by certain media groups in Europe which, frankly speaking, are not very favorable towards the EPP and our parties. When the economic crisis erupted, many pundits in Europe where quick to lay the blame on the centre-right; they predicted our demise. On the contrary, we have been the first ones to blame the current economic and financial turmoil on the extremists’ liberal market policies. We strictly abide to sensible economic policies which traditionally combine free market spirit with social peace and stability throughout Europe. All the other so-called “experts” are clearly out of touch with European societies. Europeans are looking for stability, responsibility and good governance not for experimentations, improvisations, or overbearing state intervention which would make the Euro tumble and inflation rise.
But as a party that supports the free market, why do many of your governments support at least partial state intervention in the financial sector or aiding the welfare state? These policies are normally associated with the Left.
Well, actually this is another misperception that I would like to clarify. One of the fundamental pillars of our ideology is what we call the “Social Market Economy.” The EPP has always been in favor of a healthy market economy in Europe and in our Member States but at the same time we are also in favor of cultivating a strong social consciousness in our policies. For example, we have always supported the existence of healthy and sustainable welfare systems and, unlike the Socialists, we have made sure that they were managed in a sound and efficient way. We’ve always supported programs for the unemployed in order to re-integrate them in the work-force. We have a long tradition in dealing successfully with social issues and our sensitivity on these matters remain central in our Centre-Right policies. I would like to add that in our upcoming Congress in Bonn on the 9th and 10th of December, we will be updating our “Social Market Economy” position and aligning it with the challenges that Europe currently faces. As you can see, it is the EPP who holds the key to the successful exit strategy from the current crisis.
How do you see Barroso’s re-election and his new Commission?
Obviously, the EPP is very happy with his re-election because, as you know, he was again our official candidate during this year’s election campaign. Since we won the elections, the Council had to accept again our candidate – and it did unanimously – and then Parliament gave him a strong vote of confidence thanks to our EPP Group and its leader, Joseph Daul. Also, with the Lisbon Treaty now in force, I believe that President Barroso and his new Commission will function much more in political terms; interestingly enough, this new reality is making some leading civil servants in the Commission nervous; but they shouldn’t be. It’s in the interest of the Commission to function more transparently and address citizens in simple, understandable political terms. People have an aversion to bureaucratic talk and behavior. I’m also happy that the Barroso II Commission has 13 members affiliated to the EPP; two of them are Vice Presidents of the EPP – Antonio Tajani and Michel Barnier. I’m confident that the new Commission under Lisbon will be ambitious and will meet people’s expectations.
Under Lisbon, the European Parliament for example will be the most powerful to date. Do you think that more power should be given to Brussels or have we reached a point where national governments are in danger of becoming redundant?
Honestly, I don’t think national government will ever become redundant. The European Union cannot exist without the Member States but at the same time, and in today’s globalized world, European sovereign states cannot exist on their own. Look at what happened in Iceland. A country which, until recently, was considered a unique economic miracle and was a frequent reference point for Euroskeptics, is now bankrupt. Now Iceland has applied for EU membership because it has come to understand the importance of being part of the European project and the added-value that it brings to Member States. The EPP does not want a United States of Europe but it does want a strong, united Europe that can deal effectively and efficiently with the many complex challenges that lie ahead.
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Socialists are “reckless spenders” and Europe’s political tricksters
Interview with: Antonio Lopez-Isturiz
Secretary General of the European People's Party EPP-ED
The European People’s Party (EPP) is organizing this year its second Congress. Why two Congresses in one year?
Thank you, first of all, for having me here today; I think New Europe has an important role in the Brussels-based media. Regarding your question, our first Congress which took place in April 2009 in Warsaw was organized solely for the purpose of launching our campaign for the European elections. The campaign was successful, we had a huge victory and President Jose Manuel Barroso, our candidate, was re-elected. The upcoming Congress is statutory, meaning that it’s the regular Congress that takes place once every three years where we elect our leadership and renew and update many of our policies. This one is dedicated to the Social Market Economy and we expect all of our leaders and nearly 1500 delegates from across Europe to participate.
What is the key to EPP’s political success in the European Union?
European voters have greater confidence in the EPP and our member-parties. We inspire trust and security in European societies and in a moment of crisis, such as the current economic and financial one, we are viewed as the only steady hand that can rapidly lead Europe to renewed economic development and prosperity via effective and measured policies. The Socialists, on the other hand, have a reputation of being reckless public spenders, of over-inflating the state and civil service, of focusing on tactics and communication tricks at the expense of serious policy-making.
With the Lisbon Treaty now ratified, how do you see the evolution of the EU?
With the Lisbon Treaty finally in place, the EU is now entering a new era. It will now function in a more efficient way; it will become more democratic and more transparent. It will become less bureaucratic since the decision-making process will become much more political. This also means that European political parties, like the EPP and all our competitors, will become more engaged in all the EU institutions and will be more influential in policy formulation. Also, the connections to the national parliaments will be strengthened thereby reducing the democratic deficit of the European Union.
Being Secretary General of the largest European political party, how do you see the role of parties in the EU?
European political parties have come a long way since their inception some decades ago. From very loose umbrella organizations, they have evolved into ‘real’ political parties and, in many aspects they resemble their national counterparties in the way they function. We have the exclusive responsibility to campaign for the European elections; our political groups are not allowed to campaign. European political parties, especially the three big ones – EPP, PES, ELDR – are involved in the political process of all the EU institutions and are making them more democratic by being more political. With Lisbon, this “horizontal” political role of European parties in the EU institutions is being reinforced and their influence will increase. I believe that, through this process, through the debate of ideas and political competition, European political parties will slowly but surely bridge the gap between Brussels and civil societies – at least this is the ambition of the EPP, the largest political party in Europe.
In your opinion, which personalities will lead Europe in the coming years?
Centre-right personalities. Since the EPP is the leading party, it is natural that our political personalities will have leading roles; President Nicolas Sarkozy, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Chancellor Angela Merkel and many others, will continue to have central roles. Moreover, with the Lisbon Treaty now ratified, President Barroso has the overall lead in the EU and also the opportunity to make Europe more result-oriented, more transparent, and more visible in the daily lives of people. Europe needs to deliver and President Barroso, together with President Van Rompuy and President Buzek, are ready for the challenge.
