Struan STEVENSON (ECR, UK) - Gabriele ZIMMER (GUE/NGL, DE), President of the GUE Group - Rebecca HARMS (Greens/EFA, DE), co-President of the Greens/EFA group - Nigel Paul FARAGE (EFD, UK), co-President of the EFD Group reacts to the first European projection based on national exit polls.

Brussels

statement

European election

FARAGE, Nigel (NI, UK)

2014 European elections (T)

ZIMMER, Gabriele (GUE/NGL, DE)

HARMS, Rebecca (Greens/EFA, DE)

election night 2014 (T)

STEVENSON, Struan (ECR, UK)

First European projection based on national exit polls: reactions by Struan STEVENSON (ECR, UK), Gabriele ZIMMER (GUE/NGL, DE), Rebecca HARMS (Greens/EFA, DE) and Nigel Paul FARAGE (EFD, UK)

SOUNDBITE (English), Struan STEVENSON (ECR, UK), "Our party is a reformist party where the European conservative and reformist group We have seen from the election results across the all of Europe that hundreds of thousands of people, millions of people, have demanded reform and that has been our core platform since we have founded our group five years ago. I wish to all those people that are demanding reform or voting for parties to participate in our group but I can tell you that we are going to see big changes in the new Parliament, We can not ignore the voice of so many millions of European citizens."

SOUNDBITE (English), Struan STEVENSON (ECR, UK), "We believe the Lisbon treaty told the Council of Ministers to take account of the election results and if they take account of the election results the centre right and the right have won this election but to put forward Jean-Claude Juncker as account of it would not meet with the approval i am certain of our ECR Group. We would want to see somebody of more of a reformist agenda from perhaps the EP&uml;P if we are to support anyone at all from the centre right."

SOUNDBITE (German), Gabriele ZIMMER (GUE/NGL, DE), President of the GUE Group, "I think that brought us certain issues. Many voters want change, they want to see change, they want to see a different king of politics. Sadly, we are seeing probably many coming in to the European parliament. One from Germany as well no doubt. People who are saying that Europe is not about the social guarantee, solidarity, all of the values that we wanted to see and there is a body of opinion who feel that they have got to retreat behind national borders and that the social guarantee shouldn't be applied to the nationals of individual countries that is not what the EU is all about and we as a group a are now facing a major challenge in the European Parliament."

SOUNDBITE (German), Gabriele ZIMMER (GUE/NGL, DE), President of the GUE Group, "I am happy to see that we have pulled through and that we are strong. It's important that the left in the parliament can be heard. We will be using our influence in European Parliament to insure that the dictate of the troika can be a thing of the past to make sure that it is stopped in its tracks and that the social rights, the labour rights of Europeans can be respected."

SOUNDBITE (German), Rebecca HARMS (Greens/EFA, DE), co-Chair of the Greens/EFA , "For us, the greens in Germany, and the Green in Europe, thisd has been a good evening. We are pleased that we will be the fourth largest group in the European parliament once again. We are particulary pleased beacause as the environmental party, the party that believes in generation justice, in protecting the environment that we are vital for Europe's development."  

SOUNDBITE (German), Rebecca HARMS (Greens/EFA, DE), co-Chair of the Greens/EFA , "We, Greens, have never had any agreements with extreme right parties. I am proud that the Green party throughout Europe is a pro-European party. It's an anti-nationalist party. Our program is not compatible with a far right program. Looking at the German election campaign I believe that we have had a very different approach to other parties, a different approach this emergence of nationalism, we have not contributed to that."

SOUNDBITE (English), Nigel Paul FARAGE (EFD, UK), co-Chair of the EFD Group, "It does look to me although that UKIP is gonna win this elections and yes that would be an earthquake because never before in history of the politics as a party seem to be an insurgent party ever on top of the polls on a national election."  

SOUNDBITE (English), Nigel Paul FARAGE (EFD, UK), co-Chair of the EFD Group, "The all European project has been a lie from the start in my view because it was sold to people has a trade cooperation, the people were never honestly told that it was about forming a new united states of Europe. And what it came really to the crunch in 2005 that was a referendum of a constitution, the French rejected it, the Dutch rejected it, many of the rest of us, given the chance would have rejected it. And what do they do in Brussels ? They re-branded it as the Lisbon treaty, they didn't surrender a single power and they carried on with the project of integration and ever' since that day I've had no respect for the project at all. I don't just want Britain to leave the European Union, I want Europe to leave the European Union, I don't believe that flag, that anthem, and the President who's name no one knows really represent what Europe should be."