UK MEPs disrupt signing of fundamental charter

STRASBOURG – Protests and jeers disrupted the proclamation and signing of the charter of fundamental rights.

The protesters, consisting of Tory and UKIP MEPs from the UK, were disrupting the signing, on Tuesday in Strasbourg, to demand a referendum on the new EU treaty.

The speeches of commission president José Manuel Barroso, and Portuguese president José Sócrates, were met with chants from members of parliament’s GUE/NGL group, who held up banners in protest, while parliament president Hans-Gert Pöttering banged the gavel and urged the protesters to keep silent.

In an uninterrupted speech, Pöttering had emphasised the importance of having a legally-binding document of fundamental rights.

“Without this clear formulation of values…the EU has no future,” he said.

Despite the subsequent noise, Sócrates as the next speaker was defiant in continuing his speech.

“No matter how loud people yell, trying to prevent people from speaking, today is a date of fundamental importance,” he said.

“This is probably the most important event in my political career,” the council president added, to a standing ovation from many MEPs.

Barroso also had difficulty delivering his speech, during which he stressed the value of the charter for the citizens of the EU.

“This progress will have very concrete benefits of European citizens…it is [also] a challenge to respect civil liberties in all the policies of the EU,” he said.

The signing of the charter by the presidents of the three institutions was greeted with noisy protests within the plenary chamber.

UK socialist MEP Gary Titley was furious with the disruption to the event.

“British Tory and UKIP MEPs have done harm to the image of Britain abroad by shouting football chants, just when we have rid our country of its hooligan image."

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