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Diana announces decision to stand as an independent candidate for the Presidency of Parliament
November 30, 2011 10:09 AM
Diana Wallis MEP for the UK region of Yorkshire & the Humber
Diana at the press conference to launch her Presidency bid flanked by supporrters
has announced her decision to stand as an independent candidate for the Presidency of Parliament at the end of President Buzek's term of office in January 2012.
"I am intending to stand as independent candidate for the Presidency of Parliament on the basis of nomination by forty colleagues.
"I have spoken to colleagues from across the spectrum of political views and I am persuaded that I have the necessary skills."
"After the privilege of serving as a Vice President for five years, and a total of twelve and a half years as a member, I am persuaded that I have the necessary skills to bring to the task."
She announced her decision at a press conference at the European Parliament inBrusselswhere several parliamentary colleagues from across the political spectrum gave her their endorsement.
Sir Graham Watson MEP:
"I support Diana's bid for the presidency of the European Parliament. Having known her as a colleague for 12 years I am convinced she has the right qualities for the job."
"It is crucial that the race for the European Parliament President is a genuinely competitive one - not the time-old EPP-S&D stitch up."
Dennis de Jong MEP:
"A transparent and fully accountable European Parliament is of primary importance, now more than ever.
"Diana Wallis IS transparency, as she devoted a great part of her time and energy to, inter alia, the establishment of the transparency register as well as the drafting of the Code of Conduct for MEPs. I am therefore convinced that a vote for Diana is a vote for transparency and therefore I fully support her candidature."
Indrek Tarand MEP:
"I can only bring my full support to Diana Wallis, who I share the same values with and with whom I work on Arctic issues.
"I am grateful for her determination and fight on issues linked to the Northern Dimension and the Nordic region.
"As a woman, her election as the President of this Parliament will not only be a truly additional value, but her success will also show that our Parliament really stands for transparency and democratic election, which I am myself fighting for.
Angelika Werthmann MEP:
"Europestands for a democratic development and should therefore have a democratic procedure in its own parliament in first place. I strongly believe in democracy.
"I would very much like to point out the sensitivity of Diana Wallis; a personality which is required for this post and of utmost importance in representing the European peoples in a very crucial time for the future development."
Diana finished by saying:
"I feel that there is a growing sense that whilst we talk much about democracy we seem to have a blind spot when it comes to the most important of our own internal elections. At a time when Europe's public is more than ever concerned about democratic legitimacy we literally need to put our own house in order!
"Likewise we need to place more value on the individual contribution of each member. All members arrive with the same mandate from our voters. I believe that Parliament and its administration should be geared much more to support the needs of all members in serving their electorate.
"The coming months will be challenging ones for our institution requiring calm but determined leadership; in the inter-institutional and external roles I have exercised on behalf of Parliament and likewise in chairing our sessions that has always been my style.
"I would like to work with fellow MEPs to confirm, in the minds of European citizens, a progressive image of our Parliament, achieved by the diligent work of all members and the responsible exercise of our institutional powers, so putting ourselves in tune and in step with the mood of these most complex times."
Notes:
40 signatures are required for an Independent to stand as a candidate for the Presidency of the European Parliament.
Voting for the next President of the European Parliament will take place during the Strasbourg Plenary on 17th January 2012.
In addition to Diana Wallis there are currently two declared candidates for the post of president: Martin Schulz and Nirj Deva
The last woman President of the European Parliament was Nicole Fontaine 1999-2001. Of the 13 Presidents of the elected Parliament only two have been female.
The last and only British President of the European Parliament was Charles Plumb 1987-1989.
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