Patrick Le Hyaric, MEP, and director of French Communist newspaper l’Humanité insists on the lack of democracy in the EU, be it concerning the election of the Parlaiement’s President or the Irish re-vote on the Lisbon Treaty.

Interview Today: “The election of the Parliament president is anti-democratic”

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/15027596/P001-90708-003-S-EN.srt

you're going to sit   in Strasbourg for the first time.

Are director of a newspaper   and MEP compatible careers?

They are indeed. Traditionally   since its founder Jean Jaures

all the directors of L'Humanité   have been Parliamentarians

either in the French Senate   or in the National Assembly.

How are you going   to organise your work?

I've already started organising   the teams at l'Humanité.

so that they take the situation   into account.

One of the first EP decisions   is to designate its president.

One from the EPP,   Jerzy Buzek from Poland,

and Eva-Britt Svensson, Swedish,   who's a member of your political group

the United European Left.   The game is over?

This first act does not please me at all,   it's totally anti-democratic

the other groups are not presenting a   candidate and are not part of the debate.

My vote will of course go   to our candidate Ms Svensson.

Mr Buzek is the representative   of retrograde policy.

I.e the reason why people   didn't vote in the last EU elections.

During the campaign you defended   some very concrete proposals.

Such as the status of the ECB, which   according to you is cause for concern.

For these proposals to be accepted   in the EU, they have to have the majority.

For the ECB, it's even more complicated   the treaties have to be changed.

which can reflect on   how the EU is constructed today.

In any case we have to have   the willpower to change the treaties

and to start anew with a democratic   debate to build or elaborate,

by the people with the parliaments,   trade unions and associations

Revise the treaty?   We already have trouble validating it.

Great   -We're not even sure of the outcome

and you're thinking about change.   -No we're not sure.

From the moment   when the Irish rejected it

there is a protocol   in the Lisbon Treaty which states:

if a country refuses to adopt the text,   it becomes void.

The EU leaders don't respect   what they write themselves.

They're asking the Irish   to vote until they stay yes.

It's only when you say yes   in this Europe that you're listened to.

We don't agree   and we'll continue to say so.

Patrick Le Hyaric thank you.   -Thank you.