Buzek finally dreams the impossible dream

It was hailed by many as an historic day in Strasbourg. The Polish MEP Jerzy Buzek was overwhelmingly chosen as the European Parliament’s president – the first time a leader from the former Soviet bloc has led a big EU institution.

Three decades ago he was a key figure in the movement to overthrow communism in Poland. Now a once-impossible dream has come true.

In his inaugural speech, Buzek said: “Some time ago I hoped to be a member of a Polish Parliament in a free Poland. Today I’ve become President of the European Parliament, something I could never have dreamed of in my country. That is a measure of how Europe can change. I see my election as a sign to our countries – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania and Bulgaria. I regard it as a tribute for millions of citizens of our countries who did not bow to a hostile system.”

He received a warm welcome too from the man whose job he is taking, Hans-Gert Poettering, and the leaders of the main political groups in the Parliament. The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso said Buzek’s election, 20 years after the Berlin Wall came down, is “a resounding victory for a united Europe.”

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tags: EU Parliament, European Union, Jerzy Buzek