WILFRIED MARTENS RE-ELECTED EPP PRESIDENT FOR A NEW TERM – BONN CONGRESS

Дек 9, 2009 Глобализация, Политика и власть

The former Prime Minister of Belgium, Wilfried Martens, was re-elected today for a new 3-year term as President of the European People’s Party (EPP). President Martens (73) received the overwhelming support of delegates (92 per cent) on the first day of the two-day EPP Congress, which is taking place in Bonn, Germany in the historic former Bundestag building. The Congress is hosted by Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“It is a great honor to receive this widespread support from the EPP Congress delegates. The EPP has gone a long way since its foundation in 1976 and I am particularly pleased that today we are the largest political party in Europe. We won for the third time in a row the European elections earlier this year and have the largest Group in Parliament led by Joseph Daul, we have 13 EU heads of state and government, and we have 13 new Commissioners. We are leading the main institutions with Jose Manuel Barroso, Herman Van Rompuy, and Jerzy Buzek. With the Lisbon Treaty now in force and with many serious challenges ahead, it is my privilege to continue to offer leadership at this crucial moment for Europe,” stated the EPP President.

The EPP Congress will continue tomorrow with the adoption of its policy documents and resolutions, with the speeches of the EU heads of state and government and the election of the other members of the EPP Presidency.

For more details about the Congress proceedings please www.eppbonn2009.eu

For more information:

Kostas Sasmatzoglou, EPP Spokesman, Tel. +32-2-2854147
Javier Jiménez, EPP Press Officer, Tel: +32-475480446

Info IRGO: EPP IN EUROPE

The EPP plays a leading role in Europe and is horizontally engaged with all major European Union institutions (officially recognized by EU Regulation No 2004/2004, OJ L297/1). The Council, for example, includes no less than 14 EPP Heads of Government. More importantly, in preparation of every European Council meeting, the EPP holds its Statutory Summit , which includes Prime Ministers, Commissioners, and opposition party leaders.

In the 2009 European elections, the EPP was once again victorious. The impressive results secured for our EPP Group in the European Parliament, a relative majority of 265 seats. As a result of this victory, the EPP succeeded in nominating for a 2nd term former Prime Minister of Portugal, Mr. José Manuel Durão Barroso, as President of the European Commission (his confirmation in the European Parliament is pending). Moreover, the current Barroso Commission includes a total of nine Commissioners, which originate from the EPP political family.

In addition, the EPP has a wide-range of political Groups and representatives in the Committee of the Regions of the EU (Group), the Council of Europe (Group), and the Parliamentary Assemblies of the OSCE, NATO, and the WEU (representatives).

oirgo@ya.ru