European Parliament
Speroni (NI ).
(IT)
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I have before me President Prodi’s manifesto. It contains good ideas, even if they may be a little trivial and general; some of them certainly deserve support and others less so, but, although I do not object to the Commission President drawing up a political document – he is still entitled to his own political views – it is unacceptable that he should address an individual country and an individual party in this manifesto. It should also be pointed out – and I am going to do so – that, in his position, rather than expressing ideas he should be making things happen. He is the President of the Commission: he is in a position to accomplish things, he can take steps to make them law. As regards the fact that he said that his manifesto is addressed to the whole of Europe, I beg to differ. Indeed, I quote: ‘It is against this backdrop that, turning to Italy and the forthcoming elections for the European Parliament next spring, I have proposed that all reformists ...’ and so on. Then the document makes a clear reference to the Olive Tree for it says: ‘But the inspiration is still the original inspiration behind the Olive Tree’. This is therefore a partisan document, which is unacceptable from the President of the Commission. If Mr Prodi claims to have addressed Europe as a whole then he is speaking a load of codswallop, not least in that I do not seem to remember seeing any olive trees sprouting up and growing in countries such as Sweden or Finland.

