Will Barroso's impressive rhetoric be backed with action?

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 22nd Jul 2004

Sarah Ludford in the plenary chamber of the European Parliament

Speaking in the European Parliament today deputy leader of the British Liberal Democrat MEPs and London Euro-MP Baroness Sarah Ludford welcomed the president-elect of the Commission, but stressed that his tough words must be backed up with action.

She said:

"I admit I was somewhat prejudiced before I heard you. You were appointed through a process of rather squalid intergovernmental bargaining, which was not very impressive. I was not keen on your enthusiasm for the Iraq war, which I regard as misguided and illegal. However, I have been favourably impressed by your presentational and communication skills and your clear attachment to a successful Europe and a strong European Commission. I am also impressed by your assertion that you intend not to be beholden to the Member States and in particular that you do not want super-Commissioners. I will therefore vote for you.

"However, I am wondering how consistent and truly reliable you will prove. For instance, you say you will strive for eight or nine women Commissioners, which, of course, I support. But what will you do if the UK insists on appointing Peter Mandelson, France Jacques Barrot, Germany Günter Verheugen, and Italy Mario Monti? What will you do if the smaller countries say that, as you have failed to change the gender of these big boys, why should we carry out the sex-change operation? Everyone wants gender balance in theory, but finds a pretext to fail to deliver it in practice. I wish you every ounce of conviction and determination on this issue, but I will watch with interest to see the outcome…

"…I hope we can rely on you in the field of civil liberties and human rights. Your compatriot, Mr Vitorino, did a great job and, on the whole, struck the right balance between freedom and security. However, there are ever-increasing pressures to sacrifice personal freedom to the quest for security, to compromise our humanitarian obligations to refugees and to fail to integrate legal immigrants.

"The European Union failed to take a united stand on Guantánamo Bay. I hope we can rely on you to prioritise civil liberties and human rights in the future."

Related Links:

Read this speech in full.

Read more speeches by Sarah Ludford MEP.