92001E2961

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2961/01

by Antonio Tajani (PPE-DE) to the Council

(5 November 2001)

Subject: Statements made by Louis Michel against the Italian Prime Minister

Is the Council aware of the statements made by Louis Michel, the Belgian Foreign Minister, (broadcast on the RTL-TV1 channel and reported by the Wall Street Journal Europe on 9 October 2001), in which he gave marks to the main world leaders?

Does the Council know that Mr Michel, incredibly, gave the same valuation for the Italian Prime Minister as for the Taleban regime and is it aware of the repeated attacks made by Mr Michel, the President-in-Office of the EU, against the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi?

What steps will the Council take with regard to Mr Michel, who is arbitrarily and wrongfully exploiting his official position to attack the leader of the government of one of the founding countries of the European Union, making statements which deeply offend not only the Prime Minister, but also the Italian State and its citizens?

Reply

(14 February 2002)

It is not for the Council to comment on the statements made by Mr Louis Michel. In any case, Mr Louis Michel was speaking in a personal capacity, and not as President of the Council of the European Union.