Obama 'must hit ground running' warns EU parliament Socialist leader

The leader of parliament’s second largest political group says the world expects “early action” from incoming US president Barack Obama.

Martin Schulz, leader of the Socialist group, said global expectation covered a range of "urgent issues."

As Tuesday's inauguration in Washington approaches, Schulz said, “The new president must knuckle down to work as soon as the inauguration ceremony is over.

"There is much damage to repair after the disastrous tenure of George W. Bush.
 
“Issues such as the violence in Gaza cannot wait.  He must hit the ground running, giving an early signal that the US is committed to ending violence and securing peace in the region.

“We cannot bring about peace by military means - only by dialogue and cooperation involving all sides, in line with the UN resolution,” said the German MEP.
 
“At the heart of the new administration’s approach must be a genuine partnership with the EU. 

"This partnership, pledged by the incoming president in Berlin during his election campaign, is essential if we are to deal effectively with deepening problems such as the global economic crisis.”
 
Schulz, touted as parliament’s next president after the European elections in June, went on, “Close economic cooperation has always benefited both sides of the Atlantic and we are more interdependent today than ever before.

"Jobs are the top priority both in Europe and for the new US administration.  We need to work closely together to safeguard jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. 
 
"The new president should make a strong symbolic gesture to the Muslim community by announcing the closure of the detention centre in Guantanamo Bay within days of taking office.
 
 “He should also make an early announcement of a change of US policy on climate change so that the Copenhagen conference at the end of this year can at last make progress in safeguarding the future of our planet.
 
“The EU will play its part with the new US administration in helping to design a new international order.  We need to agree new international security structures, for example, and to reform existing international bodies such as the UN.”  
 
“European citizens will wish the new president every success in these daunting tasks – and progressive politicians across the EU will be ready to take their responsibilities to ensure that together we bring about the change that the world so urgently needs.”

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