By Martin Banks - 25th March 2009
The prospect of Le Pen becoming the 'father' of parliament should give cause for concern to everyone
Jo Leinen
Parliament will next week be asked to change its rule book in a bid to ensure that French right-wing MEP Jean-Marie Le Pen cannot become 'father' of the new parliament.
The move comes amid growing "concern" that the 80-year-old Le Pen will preside over the opening of the new parliament at its first session on 14 July after the elections.
Traditionally, parliament's oldest sitting MEP opens the first session until MEPs elect a new president who then presides over all future plenary meetings.
Le Pen is currently the second oldest MEP, behind Italian Socialist Giovanni Berlinguer. But Berlinguer is not standing again and, as Le Pen is expected to be re-elected in June's elections, he is likely to become the oldest deputy in the assembly.
The prospect of the French National Front leader overseeing the launch of the newly-elected parliament is "cause for real concern," according to German Socialist deputy Jo Leinen.
He said he will use a meeting next week of parliament's constitutional affairs committee to try and force through a change of parliament's rulebook in a bid to stop Le Pen opening parliament.
He says it is an "ideal" opportunity as the meeting on Tuesday is already due to vote on a report on a shake-up of parliament's rules of procedure by UK Socialist MEP Richard Corbett.
Leinen, a member of the committee and institutional expert, said,"I will ask if another formula can be found for opening the inaugural session. If it means a break from tradition, then so be it.
"The prospect of an anti-European and extreme right-wing politician like Le Pen opening the first session and becoming the 'father' of parliament should give cause for concern to everyone."
Further comment came from EPP leader Joseph Daul who said, "Le Pen's negationist remarks disqualify him from chairing the inaugural session of our institution for even a second when it opens at the beginning of the next legislative term.
"The EU is a union of values and ideals, and we will not allow the memory of thousands of victims of Nazism be ridiculed by an individual such as Le Pen."
"Using the democratic powers of parliament, my group will take all necessary measures to ensure that the 500 million citizens we stand for are represented with dignity."
The rules were last changed in 1989 after a French NF MEP Claude Autant-Lara used the position of 'father of the house' to make a speech as parliament opened to a chamber which was mostly empty as a sign of protest.
A rule change would require agreement by leaders of the political groups.
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