Martin Schulz mentioned that the German party workers were not along, as this campaign was truly different, with voters and party supporters all over Europe finally feeling that they have a genuine say in who runs Europe. Underlining that distinction he emphasised that; “My election to Commission President should be open and NOT the results of back room deals”.
Speaking of the need to reconnect the EU to the people he continued that; “My challenge is to rebuild that connection between local and European. When people see local services fail it is hard to realise that sometimes they fail because European policies are wrong”. He used his own experience in local government to underline that the Commission he would run would be one that knew where to draw the line. “The EU Commission must be a lot more sensible in legislating – no need make rules for every tiny detail!”, he stressed, adding that; “As a former Mayor of a city in North-Rhine Westphalia, and as a former bookstore owner, I know with profound feeling, that having deep roots are essential in making local communities strong”.
The SPD Congress also launched the election list for the candidates for the European Parliament election. For more details please go to www.spd.de.