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Poland (11) -- News -- 2009
Jerzy Buzek elected President of the European Parliament
14.07.2009
MEPs elected Jerzy Buzek to be the new European Parliament President with 555 votes in favour (or 86.18 per cent of the valid votes). He was elected after the first-round of voting. The 69-year-old Polish MEP will lead the European Parliament for two and a half years (until January 2012). President Buzek is the first President of the European Parliament to come from Central and Eastern Europe following the EU's enlargement in 2004. Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland) replaces the outgoing President Hans-Gert Pottering (EPP, Germany).
In a brief address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg immediately after the vote, Mr Buzek described his election as "an enormous challenge and a great honour". Referring to the message of "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity", championed by the French Revolution whose anniversary is commemorated today in France's national day, the newly elected president said "all three of those words ring out in the European Union" today.
Once his ambition had been to be a member of parliament in a free Poland, but now he was President of the European Parliament. He saw this as "a measure of how Europe can change". He also regarded it as "symbolic" for the other central and eastern European countries who joined the EU in 2004 and as "a tribute to the millions of people who didn't bow to a hostile system". "There is now no 'you' and 'us': we live in a shared Europe", he said.
Mr Buzek will give a more detailed description of the work programme he intends to pursue over the next two and a half years during the 14-17 September plenary session in Strasbourg.
Poland (11) -- Analyses -- 2009
The President of the European Parliament
14.07.2009
The President chairs the plenary sittings of Parliament, the Conference of the Presidents of Political Groups (seven in number) and the Bureau of Parliament (including 14 Vice-Presidents).
The President is responsible for the application of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament, and, to this end, oversees all the activities of Parliament and its bodies.
The President represents Parliament in all legal matters.
The President addresses the European Council prior to each of its meetings, stating Parliament's viewpoint on the subjects on the agenda in the framework of a debate with the heads of state and government.
The President represents Parliament in its international relations, and, in this connection, undertakes official visits within and outside the EU.
The President signs the EU budget into being following Parliament's vote on it at second reading. During the procedure, the President chairs the EP/Council conciliation delegations.
The President may, under the EP/Council codecision procedure, chair the EP/Council conciliation committee. Jointly with the President-in-Office of the Council, the President signs all legislative acts adopted by codecision.
When an Intergovernmental Conference is held for the reform of the Treaties, the President takes part in the meetings of the government representatives where these are organised at ministerial level.
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Bulgarian