Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Mr President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen, just before Christmas the political group chairmen had an opportunity to speak to the then-incoming Irish Presidency: with the Taoiseach, Foreign Minister Brian Cowen and the Minister for Europe, Dick Roche. I can tell you that the meeting was professional, efficient and amicable. I think this bodes very well for a successful Irish Presidency and by happy coincidence we have an Irish President of the European Parliament. I would also like to mention Gerard Collins, the co-chairman of an important group here in the European Parliament, who we first met when he was still Foreign Minister. The Irish Presidency of the time performed excellently, and I wish you every success in the coming six months as well. Mr President-in-Office of the Council, you mentioned the Constitution. For my group, for the European People’s Party section of it, the Constitution is the number one priority. The Constitution project cannot be allowed to fail simply because the Brussels Summit was unsuccessful. You will have our full support if you manage to resolve matters during the Irish Presidency. (Applause) Everyone needs to move into action now. We in the Group of the European People’s Party may support the principle of double majority for decision-making in the Council of Ministers, but it cannot now be considered a fundamental principle whereby we say that if it is not accepted, the whole Constitution project will fail – certainly not. The Constitution is so important a subject that we must move towards one another. A compromise must be found, and we need everyone to work together to that end. (Applause) Then there is the discussion about ‘core Europe’ or a two-speed Europe. I would advise against any such discussion. It is inherently wrong. How would a core group work? How would a two-speed Europe work? It is the wrong approach, but it is also seen as a threat to make certain governments move in a particular direction. Let us stop talking about a two-speed Europe, let us create this Constitution and move forward together. (Applause) Mr President-in-Office, the elections for the European Parliament fall during your Presidency. The Convention’s draft Constitution says – although of course it is not yet in force – that the results of the European Parliament elections will be taken into account when the Commission President is appointed. I do not know whether your Presidency will actually make a proposal for the office of Commission President at the end of June, after the elections. I can only encourage and ask you to respect the results of the European Parliament elections if you do. It is a question of principle. Our group is not willing to repeat the events of 1999, when one side won the elections and the other side took up offices in the Commission. This time the results of the European elections must be taken into account. The Commission as a whole must be balanced. As President of the Commission – you are laughing, and I am always pleased to see you happy –you are already being asked for your opinion, even now, on the subject of appointing the ten Commissioners from the accession countries. Please ensure that there is a cross-party political balance when you appoint the Commissioners. (Loud applause) Mr President-in-Office, you went on to speak about our relationship with the United States of America. Let me underline everything you said. We do not want to be the United States’ lackeys, but neither are we her rivals. We want to be partners with the United States, with equal rights, speaking on an equal footing with our American friends, and on many issues we share common goals. Anyone who believes that Europe has to be defined by contrast with the United States not only has it wrong in treating the United States, as it were, as an enemy, but would also split Europe itself, because we have different views on how we should structure our relationship with the United States. Consequently, I can only advise that we consider ourselves partners and equals of the United States. It is up to us to establish that equality. Rather than constantly criticising American dominance, we should do our utmost to ensure we, as Europeans, are united, and then we will be on an equal footing with the United States. This does not mean that we ought not to criticise our American friends at all. For example, I consider the current situation in Guantanamo Bay unacceptable. No one on this earth – no terrorist, no one – should be without rights. Everyone in the world is subject to a system of law. We should tell our American friends so. Please include it in all documents we exchange with them. (Applause) The same holds true for Chechnya. We are always told: yes, yes, we have talked to the Russian President about Chechnya. We would like to see it in black and white: a statement that Chechnya will also be dealt with, that we will intervene to uphold human rights and that we also have the courage to address world leaders – or those who consider themselves as such – on such matters. So my request to you is: give human rights a chance, again by referring to them in documents and agreements. This applies both to Guantanamo Bay and to Chechnya. Let us respect one another: the small respecting the large, the large respecting the small, the majority respecting minorities. Europe can only work if we understand others, and if we respect one another. There should be no domination, and I thought it would be good to ask, in all modesty, everyone to do their bit. That is exactly what we need. Everyone needs to do their bit for a united Europe. Our group will stand alongside you. We wish you every success.

Political group: PPE-DE