The first of the Soviet bloc

The new president of the European Parliament will change relations with Russia

Yesterday, Jerzy Buzek, a former Polish Prime Minister and representative of the European Party, was elected the new president of the European Parliament. Few people doubted his victory: even before the elections in support of Buzek, most factions of the Parliament of the European Union (EU) spoke out.

It is noteworthy that the EU departs from the tradition of electing representatives of "old" Europe by the president of his parliament. Buzek is the first representative of the states - members of the former Soviet bloc.

For a 69-year-old candidate, 555 deputies of 736 members of the parliamentary Assembly voted. His main competitor Eva-Britt Svensson, the Swedish deputy of the left views, received only 89 votes.

At his new post, Buzek was replaced by a conservative from Germany Hansa-Gerti Pottering. Evgeniusz Smolyar, President of the Polish Center for International Relations, in an interview with the correspondent of "Gazeta" talked about how much the position of the European Parliament on key issues of international policy could change.

“The President’s personality, of course, affects the approach of the EU parliament to solve a number of problems,” the expert said. “And Buze, whom I know personally, really believes in a compromise. He repeatedly demonstrated this when Polish Prime Minister.”

According to Smolyar, this can lead to significant changes in the European Parliament. "First of all, Buzek, a citizen of Poland,, as no one else, understands the most sensitive moments in the international politics of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe," said the interlocutor of the correspondent of Gazeta. According to Smolyar, the relations of the countries that were part of the sphere of influence of the USSR will be discussed in the European Parliament "with a more cautious approach".

“The second point is the new EU budget, around which disputes lasted a long time. Poland, like the young European Union country, wants to accept the so -called large budget, which will require 1% of GDP each of the countries of the Union,” the expert said. “European countries with a more developed economy, in turn, seek to give the EU as few as possible from their state budget.”

Another difference between the policy of the new president of the European Parliament may be the problem of climate. "Developed European countries require significant changes, first of all, a sharp transition to alternative energy resources. Poland, in turn, is so far too connected with coal processing and cannot afford to abandon this without losing in the pace of economic development," Smalya said.

Buzek has already stated that the problem of climate will become one of its priorities. It is expected that the politician will try to achieve a compromise on this issue in the first place.

The representative of the largest right -centric party in the EU, Buzek with his first speech as the president confirmed the image of a liberal policy that firmly defended European values. “The human rights are seen very important to today,” he said. In addition, Buzek emphasized the need to withdraw the EU out of the economic crisis.

In his speech, the new president also reminded the deputies of the European Parliament of his political career. He began it in the 1980s with anti-communist demonstrations, later joined the trade union movement "Solidarity", which became the main political force that overthrew the communist regime in Poland.

Previously on the topic

From 1997 to 2001, Buzek headed the coalition government of the country, which carried out four large reforms - the administrative, pension, medical and educational system. In 2004, when Poland entered the euro zone, the politician became a member of the European Parliament.