Jerzy Buzek -Former Poland's Prime Minister is now President of the European Parliament
Special Report by Jadwiga Inglis
The President of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. He also represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally. The President's signature is required for enacting most EU laws and the EU budget.
Presidents serve two-and-a-half-year terms, normally divided between the two major political parties. There have been twenty-seven Presidents, since the Parliament was created in 1952 to 2007, twelve of whom have served since the first Parliamentary election in 1979. Two Presidents have been women and most have come from the older member states. The current President is Jerzy Buzek.
28th President of the European Parliament |
Assumed office |
Prof. Jerzy Buzek, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland (1997-2001), was elected in Strasbourg President of the European Parliament by its assembly on July 14th. Therefore the Polish former Prime Minister and pro-democracy activist became the very first easterner from a former Communist country to head a major EU institution.
Prof. Buzek is an engineer, academic lecturer and politician, deeply involved in the anti-communist legal and underground movements. He was an active organizer of the trade union's regional and national underground authorities as well as a member of the Solidarity Electoral Action (AWS). In 1997 he was elected to the Polish Sejm and soon became Prime Minister.
In 2004 when Poland joined the European Union, Mr. Buzek was elected member of the European Parliament receiving the record number of votes. He repeated that success in the second European parliamentary election of 2009. In the elections for the post of President of the European Union he won 555 of 644 valid votes cast at the first inaugural session of the new assembly consisting of 736-members. President EP Jerzy Buzek received a standing ovation from the Parliament. It is said that his election is a final step to unite Europe’s old East-West division.
Jadwiga Inglis, International Correspondent from Los Angeles, reporting from Strasbourg, France