I had doubts as to how he would "perform" at EU level, especially after his ill-advised presidential run in 2007. But by all accounts he's been a hard worker and very effective networker, finding common ground with MEPs from other groups.

_{It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II}

The other is to a quote from this (2011):

Treaty change: What the Parliament thinks | EurActiv

Green group's co-presidents Rebecca Harms and Dany Cohn-Bendit:

"This week's EU summit must provide durable and democratic answers to the core issues facing the eurozone, both immediate measures to put out the sovereign debt fire, and long term measures to restore confidence in the euro.

"In order to stanch the sovereign debt crisis, until a more durable, treaty-based solution can be implemented, EU leaders need to finally support the only short-term solution at hand: the backstop of the European Central Bank.

"The European Central Bank has been playing the role of lender of last resort to the private sector for a long time. It is also already de facto playing this role for eurozone sovereigns to some extent.

"However, in order to deliver a sufficient deterrent to the circling wolves in the bond markets, and address the current credit crunch, the ECB finally needs political backing.

"With this achieved, EU leaders must outline a roadmap for bedding the euro in a true economic union, based on solidity and solidarity, with democratic checks and balances. Whether this is realised by treaty change or through legislation based on the current treaties, it is crucial that the democratic process is respected.

In practice, this means agreeing tough, binding rules on fiscal discipline, while accompanying this with the creation of eurobonds, in order to underline the permanence of the currency and the common-purpose of its members.

"The failed intergovernmental approach, which so far has only delivered damaging pro-cyclical austerity and brought the euro to the brink, must be jettisoned. This implies tasking the European Commission with the economic governance of the euro, while providing for commensurate democratic oversight by the European Parliament and Council.

"In order to have democratic legitimacy, any such treaty change will have to involve the directly elected European Parliament, and implies following the Convention method. Anything other than this, notably proposals to force new rules through in a protocol, would be an affront to the principles on which the European Union is founded."

I feel less and less prone to give them a vote in the next elections. What about the CO²/nuclear power dilemna? I don't know how it is for the other european countries, but french low CO² power is highly dependent on nuclear and most of our power plant should really be modernized or closed. But in case of a close down, our CO2 emissions would go way up, and disasters would ensue.

In Europe, energy policy is high on the neo liberal agenda, where are the greens on that? And what about the free trade agreement with US?

And, i'm absolutely not convinced by the veg' aspect of the yougest one: Going full veg' is not an environmental constraint, but a personal choice. I've met countless veg' tryong to "convert" me to this habit, with I may be following from time to time, but without the morals, which are insuferables (and contrary to the idea of individual freedom).

Last interrogation: should my european vote go to the syriza likes or the greens? Theses are two very different parties, and, as M Quatremer dislikes the former, and support the later, I would rather take the opposite stand. ;-)

So, are there any particular qualities we should be looking for in future chairs?

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se