European Parliament
Samuelsen (ALDE ).
(DA)
Mr Barroso, I should like to thank you because you are now presenting an obviously better team than you did some weeks ago. You are presenting a Commission without Mr Buttiglioni, whom Parliament could not accept – not because he was, and is, a Catholic and not because he was, and is, a conservative, but because he was unable to take on the task he was appointed to take on. His attitudes and his previous actions were proof that his position was simply untenable.
I now see before me a Commission that will be in a position to fight for gender equality and protection of the rights of minorities, a Commission that will be able to fight for reforms in Europe. I myself attended the hearing of, among others, the Budget Commissioner-designate, and that was an excellent experience in which no punches were pulled in connection with the issue of the necessary reforms. I look forward to our cooperation. I am convinced that your cooperation with Parliament will be constructive, but that you will not go uncriticised either, and this will be of benefit to Europe and to us all.

