CONDUCT OF MR HANS-GERT POTTERING AND MR DANIEL COHN-BENDIT

That this House notes with deep concern reports of the conduct of Mr Hans-Gert Pottering, President of the European Parliament, and Mr Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Leader of Green MEPs, towards the distinguished and honourable President of the Czech Republic, Mr Vaclav Klaus during their recent meeting in Prague; further notes that the extraordinarily patronising and lecturing tone of the two EU representatives brings the whole European Union into disrepute; urges both EU representatives to learn some basic diplomatic skills and to always remember that they are of secondary importance to all Heads of State of all EU sovereign countries; believes that this incident confirms the inability of the Euro-elite to accept that anyone holds different views from their own; further believes that such conduct by EU parliamentarians, if unchecked, would be a long-term threat to democracy; and considers that the United Kingdom must stand up for the sovereign rights of smaller EU countries when they are being bullied by such people as ultimately if unchecked such behaviour could have longer term consequences.