Fears of German Dominance in EU Parliament

A Liberal leader in the European Parliament has warned that the new parliament will be dominated by a grand "left-right" coalition assembled to protect German corporate interests. Graham Watson, the parliament's Liberal leader, was quoted in the Financial Times as claiming that corporate Germany lobbied for the partnership between the centre-right European People's party (EPP) and the Party of European Socialists (PES), both led by German deputies. Watson added that the socialists and conservatives have agreed to share out jobs, including the presidency of the parliament and the top committee chairmanships, combine to frustrate economic reforms, and to defend the German chemicals industry from new EU regulations. The partnership, labelled as a "technical agreement," places great influence in the hands of Hans-Gert Pöttering, the German leader of the EPP, and Martin Schulz, the newly appointed leader of the PES and also a German. However Joachim Würmeling, a German member of the European People's party, accused Mr Graham of "sour grapes", telling the FT that Pöttering and Schulz had a "European sense of duty" that transcended national interests.