On 17th January, German Social Democrat Martin Schulz was elected as the new President of the European Parliament, with 387 votes out of the 670 cast, replacing Jerzy Buzek. He beat two British candidates, Nirj Deva and Diana Wallis. He will serve as President for 2 1/2 years.

In his opening address to the parliament as President, Mr Schulz warned that « for the first time since it was founded, the failure of the European Union is a realistic possibility » but declared that he was ready to “prepare that Europe for the 21st century, so that, for coming generations as well, it holds out the promise of an economically strong, socially just, free and democratic home for all Europeans”.

He also stated that : “whoever breaches the values enshrined in our Charter of Fundamental Rights must reckon with us as adversaries”, a possible message to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who was due to visit the Parliament the following day to discuss controversial new reforms implemented in Hungary.

However, not everyone was impressed with the appointment of the outspoken Schulz. Nigel Farage of Europe of Freedom and Democracy was particularly uncomplimentary, describing him as “angry, intolerant of everybody with a different point of view and anti-British”.

Read the full press release and find the link to Schulz’s opening address here : http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/...

Image : Flickr/European Parliament