Protests mark opening of EU conservative congress[fr][de] 

Speaking to journalists, Barroso avoided wading into the depths of the shipyards debate, preferring to concentrate on the EPP's strategy for the EU elections.

Later, amid a more cheerful atmosphere, EPP President Wilfried Martens concluded four hours of speeches by confirming that Barroso would be the EPP's official candidate for the European Commission presidency. The move hardly came as a surprise as the EPP had already endorsed him in October, albeit unofficially (EurActiv 16/10/08). 

EPP leaders were confident that they would win the 4-7 June European elections, Martens said.

Speaking before the audience in the conference hall, which had previously hosted Communist party congresses, Barroso chose the subject of "values" dear to the EPP, presenting the current world economic crisis as a "crisis of values," with the EPP fighting to impose ethical standards in global finance.

His speech did not refer to the challenges ahead for the next five years. Nevertheless, indirectly, two EU leaders advised Barroso to project stronger leadership as Commission president. 

French Prime Minister François Fillon called for a Commission that was "able to put forward proposals and to imagine solutions". For his part, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker said the Commission should remain the engine of Europe, and not "turn itself into a secretariat to the Council," acting only to please the EU's member states. 

Don't abandon social issues to the Socialists

As several other speakers, Juncker pleaded that the EPP should not abandon social issues and leave them as privileged territory for the Socialists. Wilfried Martens said "the Socialists copied us" on the social market economy, while Joseph Daul, leader of the EPP-ED group in the European Parliament, said that the only successful Socialists in the EU countries were those who applied centre-right policies.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is a consistent advocate of a "responsible social market economy" (EurActiv 11/05/06), said the EPP had a duty "to make globalisation human,"  which was why, in her view, enforcement of the Lisbon Treaty was so important, as it enshrines the social market economy.

Merkel also said that it was important for Europe to become stronger after the economic crisis. She admitted that the continent was "quite far away" from achieving the goals of its Lisbon Strategy for economic, social and environmental renewal. She said Europe would be able to achieve this goal only if it was united, and if the individual was at the centre of its policies, as the EPP manifesto foresees.

Manifesto adopted by consensus

In its manifesto , adopted by a large consensus, the EPP attacks its main rival, the Socialists, for what it sees as an attempt to use the world economic crisis for political purposes.

"Whereas the Socialists in Europe see this crisis as an opportunity to push for a backward leftist agenda which will destroy jobs and Europe's position in the world, we are convinced that our vision of a Social Market Economy is the best response to this crisis," the EPP manifesto reads. 

Enlargement put on ice

Furthermore, the EPP stresses its traditional values, emphasising the role of the family and of the "Judeo-Christian roots and common cultural heritage" of Europe. Without mentioning Turkey, the document makes clear that Croatia is the only country that can count on concluding its EU accession negotiations anytime soon.

Echoing the "tough" ideas on enlargement of French President Nicolas Sarkozy (EurActiv 09/07/08), Prime Minister François Fillon stated that "ever-enlarging Europe cannot be an objective by itself". He said that Europe in fact needed borders, so as to be able to come up with a "European consciousness," and so that the "European ideal" could "gain substance". "Europe needs a soul," he said.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was the only speaker to express a completely different view on enlargement, saying he was in favour of Turkey's EU accession. He also surprised the audience by saying that Belarus "can make real progress towards true democracy". He had held a meeting a few days beforehand with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is widely considered the last dictator in Europe.

Unlike other statements, Berlusconi's speech was welcomed by powerful applause, as he arrived accompanied by a huge delegation of young Italian activists.

No decisions on Parliament presidency

Sources from the French delegation at the congress told EurActiv that the forum would not discuss the issue of the EPP's candidate for the next European Parliament presidency.

The Poles want former prime minister and current MEP Jerzy Buzek to lead the new Parliament, which would be a signal of the full integration of the 12 new mainly ex-Communist member states. But the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi too has a candidate – Mario Mauro, a former education official, from Forza Italia. No decision will be taken before the EU elections, the sources said.

While the EPP was opening its congress in Warsaw, the Party of European Socialists highlighted the gap between European conservatives' rhetoric and their record. 

In a written statement, PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen warned: "Voters beware. There is a yawning gap between what the EPP say and what they do. The EPP's rhetoric does not match their actions."

Rasmussen attacked the EPP for neglecting the problem of unemployment. "The EPP manifesto claims that the creation of new jobs is their core priority. But they have already declared that Europe does not need to do any more to fight unemployment. At the G20 in April European conservatives rejected Barack Obama and Gordon Brown’s proposal for new investments to create new jobs. Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy have made it quite clear that they believe Europe has done enough," Rasmussen stated.

He then warned that there was a real danger that unemployment would hit 27 million people across Europe next year. Rasmussen also attacked the EPP for its ideas to reform capitalism. "The EPP manifesto says they want better regulation of the financial market, but they have spent years arguing against regulation. For months they resisted my report on regulating hedge funds and private equity, and changed their tune only after the collapse of Lehman Brothers."