Opening of Strasbourg session: attack on Berlusconi condemned

The 13 December attack on Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was “no way to conduct a political dialogue”, said EP President Jerzy Buzek, opening this week's plenary session in Strasbourg.

“This is no way to conduct political dialogue” said President Buzek, strongly condemning the attack on Prime Minister Berlusconi and wishing him a swift recovery. Francesco Speroni (EFD, IT), voiced his group's support. “This is unacceptable - we may be political opponents, but no adversary is a physical enemy”, declared Gianni Pitella (S&D, IT). Such violence brings us “close to the edge of the abyss”, agreed Mario Mauro (EPP, IT).

Sunday was also the 28th anniversary of the imposition of marshal law in Poland, during which almost 100 people had been killed, including 9 coal miners shot dead during a strike at the Wujek coal mine, and almost 10,000 supporters of democracy in Poland had been arrested, noted Mr Buzek.

Turning to the coming week's agenda in Strasbourg, Mr Buzek said that the Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought would be awarded to Oleg Orlov, Sergei Kovalev and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, on behalf of the Memorial organisation, which defends human rights in Russia, at midday on Wednesday 16 December.

A request by the EFD group to include in the agenda an oral question to the Commission on defence of the principle of subsidiarity was approved by 118 votes to 78, with one abstention. The debate will be the last agenda item on Tuesday evening, and a resolution is to be put to the vote on Thursday.

Mr Buzek wished Parliament's members, support staff and friends Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and Happy New Year.