First session of the new European Parliament
Adelina Marini, July 14, 2009
With tough agenda will start the first session of the new European parliament today after the elections in the beginning of June. The first task of the new MEPs would be to approve the first president of the EP (for the first half of the term, for the second - there will be another president). Main candidate for the post is the ex Polish prime minister Jerzy Buzek, nominated by the European People's Party (EPP). There is another candidacy which is less probable because of the moods in the Parliament to nominate an Eastern European. The second candidacy is that of Eva-Britt Svensson from Sweden, nominated by the Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left.
On the next day the MEPs will listen to the report of the Czech Presidency, presented by the Czech prime-minister Jan Fischer and then will hear the plans of the Swedish presidency by prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.
But their work will not end with this. They will discuss the situation in Iran, China and Honduras (where there was a coup recently), accompanied by hearings of the positions of the European Council and the Commission.
The youngest MEP in the new EP is a representative from Denmark - Emilie Turunen, who is 25 years old. The oldest is Mr Ciriaco De Mita from Italy who is 81 years of age. Together with him is the famous French nationalist Jean-Marie Le Pen but he is younger than Mr. De Mita with couple of months.
The number of national parties and movements in the new EP are less than the previous one - 165 against 182. However this Parliament is much more colourful as a representation.