EP President Pöttering said at the opening of the debate: “We have taken note of the domestic political situation in the Czech Republic. In the name of all of you, I would like to state that this should not affect the work of the Czech presidency, but that, rather, it must be our will that the work continues. We support the Czech prime minister, the president of the European Council, in his efforts to make the Czech presidency a success.
 
I would like to - I hope I may say this in the name of all of you - encourage the president of the European Council, that in his country, as well as in other countries where work still needs to be done, the ratification process in regard to the Lisbon Treaty will continue. We have been working on this Treaty to reform the European Union for 10 years now, since the Nice decisions, and we wish that the last remaining difficult steps can be taken as well so that, hopefully, this Treaty can enter into force at the beginning of 2010. We need the Lisbon Treaty for more democracy, more capacity to act of the EU, and for more transparency.”
 
Prime Minister Topolánek
 
In his opening speech, the Czech prime minister firmly refuted arguments that the EU was not doing enough to tackle the economic situation, highlighting the €400 billion stimulus package agreed by EU Member States and - one the “biggest successes of the summit” - the €75 billion to be provided to the IMF to boost its financial capacity. 
 
However, he criticised the US government's spending plans and its growing budget deficit and said the greatest success of the EU summit had been its “refusal to go this way”.
 
EU leaders, he said, had emphasised the need for better regulation, and here he stressed the role of Parliament in adopting future legislation on matters such as ratings agencies, solvency requirements and capital adequacy of banks.
 
Energy and climate change
 
The EU recovery package included €5 billion for energy infrastructure, noted the Czech prime minister, and indeed energy security had been another important topic discussed at the summit.  Member States had agreed that if another supply crisis occurred a coordinated approach would be essential.
 
On climate change, EU leaders had agreed on the need to prepare the Copenhagen conference thoroughly. The key negotiations would have to be with the biggest actors, such as the USA, China, India and Japan.
 
External relations
 
Turning to external relations, Mr Topolánek mentioned the summit's adoption of the Eastern Partnership with non-EU European countries, which would have a budget of €600 million. On Belarus, the visa ban had been lifted but it remained to be seen whether President Lukashenko would be able to travel to Europe.
 
Lastly, the prime minister referred to the informal summit with President Obama scheduled for 5 April, where the main topics for discussion were expected to be the outcome of the G20 meeting, energy and climate issues, and geostrategic matters such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Mediterranean area.  However, he warned against excessive expectations of this meeting.
 
European Commission
 
“The pessimistic forecasts were wrong - the last European Council yielded important decisions that show we are united”, said Commission President José Manuel Barroso citing the Council's backing for a €5 billion package for strategic energy and broadband projects, €50 billion in balance of payments support, 4% of EU GDP for automatic stabilisers to combat the global crisis and an extra €75 billion for the IMF.
 
This funding will be backed up by a programme of “ambitious regulatory reforms” which will pave the way for global solutions, he continued, adding that the London summit plans for economic stimulus, regulation, opposing protectionism and commitment to Millennium Development goals amount to a “genuine leadership agenda”, not just a technocratic one.
 
“We need to infuse the global financial system with ethical values” to ensure that it serves citizens, he stressed, backing Chancellor Merkel's proposal for a sustainable growth charter.
 
On external relations, the President thanked Parliament for backing the eastern partnership and a consistent framework for neighbourhood policy. He stressed that Parliament needs to negotiate quickly with the Council to get the €5 billion into effect by May, so as to get strategic projects and research under way again.
 
He hoped that the proposed financial market regulatory measures could also be adopted before Parliament's election recess, and stressed the need to develop co-ordination among Member States of measures on impaired assets and for car manufacturing.
 
“Unemployment will go on rising”, predicted the President, stressing that this is the Commission's “N° 1 priority”, and that the success or otherwise of employment measures would be assessed at the employment summit early in May. “At EU level, we care about social dialogue”, he said, stressing the need to involve all social partners, Parliament and the Committee of the Regions in developing these measures.
 
Political group speakers
 
“Last Friday, the EU adopted a roadmap for the G-20 meeting on 2 April, and we need to work as a team”, said EPP-ED group chairman Joseph Daul (FR). Purely “national solutions will not do”, he stressed, citing UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown's speech to Parliament the previous day.
 
“The €400 billion package will help to create wealth and jobs, as will the funding for energy and broadband projects”, he added.
 
Mr Daul stressed the need for rapid progress on the EU proposals on credit rating agencies, capital adequacy and Basle II requirements. “We don't need socialist measures, we need more jobs”, he stressed, adding that PES group chairman Martin Schulz and socialist governments needed to do “more joined-up thinking”.
 
“We must also convince our partners to move ahead on climate change”, said Mr Daul, noting that US President Obama appeared ready to adopt a C02 emission permit trading scheme.
 
“Being here shows you're a fighter, but you still haven't understood the job”, PES group chairman Martin Sculz (DE) told Council President Mr Topolánek, before asking him “what do your comments on Social Democrat obstructions in the Czech Republic mean?”.
 
“Gordon Brown's speech to Parliament yesterday set out the precise opposite of what you have said here”, he continued, adding that Mr Topolánek's view that the USA had “taken the wrong road, the road to hell” was his alone, and that the EU should “not be operating at this level”.
 
“In these difficult times, with public budgets in the red, the Council cannot say it's not interested - this would send a fatal signal”, said Mr Schulz, stressing the need for all countries to shoulder their responsibility to safeguard and create jobs.
 
As Council President, “you must make Member States honour their commitments, show that employment measures are at the centre of government action, and ensure that institutional issues are clear”, Mr Schulz told Mr Topolánek.
 
“We know you have had your upsets with the Czech President” on institutional issues, “but we will support you”, he assured Mr Topolánek, and asked “Do you want to proceed on the basis of Nice, or Lisbon?” The new European Parliament should be consulted on the Lisbon Treaty after its constitutive session, he concluded.
 
Speaking on behalf of the ALDE group, Graham Watson (UK) stated his support for the Council's “positive package”, in particular the €5bn package for energy, infrastructure, transport and broadband connections, as it will “create jobs now and will help to prepare Europe for the future…and will ease our troubling energy reliance on Russia.”  However he called for the EU to ensure that this money “will not be a substitute for renewable energy research.  Green growth remains essential for our citizens now and in the future.”
 
Adam Bielan (PL) for the UEN congratulated President Topolánek on his presidency so far, but expressed concern over the proposed measures for the Eastern Europe Partnership.  “€600m for five years has been allocated, but we know that only €350m of this are new funds.  In total that only means €20m per year for every country which participates in the project.”  He questioned whether this would really be enough for the EU to have a real impact in the region.  He also spoke of €5bn allocated to the economy revival package, €330m of which will go to Poland and criticised the regulations which mean that this money must be spent by the end of next year.  Due to the absorption rates of the Polish economy, much of this money will be lost if the time perspective is not prolonged.
 
Claude Turmes (LU), for the Greens/EFA spoke about President Roosevelt's response to the economic crisis of the 1930s, which was successful as “he had the trust of…the US citizens.”  According to Mr Turmes, Roosevelt was effective because of four main points; his commitment to re-regulation of “the big companies in the US”; his strengthening of the social fabric, through redistributing wealth and providing jobs for young people; his engagement of all actors in societies; and finally “his economic investment.”  Therefore, Mr Turmes called on the EU to support a similar response, but with a strong emphasis on green investment and technology.
 
“It is beyond any debate that building of confidence” must be the way out of the economic crisis, according to Vladimír Remek (CZ) of the GUE/NGL.  The problem, for Mr Remek, is who should be responsible for restoring confidence in the system, and how the social crisis of increasing unemployment should be tackled.  He stated that he is not in favour of propping up large companies, but would rather see the EU support green technologies as a means to create jobs and “to build something for the future.”  He also raised concerns about the Eastern Partnership claiming that “what we see here is an attempt to create new spheres of influence…which is what we criticise when others do it.”
 
Hanne Dahl (IND/DEM, DK) referred to concerns she said had been voiced about the eurozone last week by Jacques Delors, including his belief that there was a lack of political will to clean up the financial sector. According to Ms Dahl, the summit conclusions had indeed been “vague” on this matter.  Mr Delors had also said the European economies were too different for a single currency, a view Ms Dahl warmly endorsed, saying “the single currency is part of the problem”.
 
Non-aligned Czech MEP Jana Bobošikova welcomed the European Council's postponement of decisions on revising the “unrealistic” Lisbon strategy and on financing climate change. She agreed with Mr Barroso that the EU should not make any new commitments on climate change until other countries like the USA and China join in. She added that these very intelligent decisions were made as the EU faces increasing unemployment and the Lisbon Treaty is not in force, which in her view showed that the Lisbon Treaty is not needed.
 
UK and Irish speakers
 
Timothy Kirkhope (EPP-ED; UK) expressed his support for the impressive way in which the Czech Presidency has dealt with some of the crucial issues facing Europe. Europe and the international community, he said, now need to move quickly to restore confidence in our financial systems, to ensure a properly functioning banking system in which individuals and businesses can place their trust and get banks lending again to boost confidence. We must, he said, hold firm to the principles of free trade and the Single Market, and he has every confidence that the Presidency will continue to work hard to achieve these vital goals.
 
The impact of the downturn is of course being felt around the world said Ian Hudghton (Greens/EFA,UK).  EU support for development of clean energy generation and distribution will help, not just the Scottish economy, but will also benefit fellow Europeans, contributing to energy security and climate change mitigation. He hoped very much that it will not be long before Scotland can play an even more active and constructive role in the world as a normal independent Member State of the European Union.
 
The haemorrhage of jobs must be stopped, said Mary Lou Mcdonald (GUE/NGL, IE) and this will require proactive interventions by Member State governments. Free market theology must not stand in the way of doing right by workers. The light-touch regulation of the financial markets was always a road to rip-off and corruption. Obsessive deregulation and privatisation of public services will equally end in tears. So, she questioned, is the common refrain that we must learn the lessons of this economic crisis genuine? If it is, then the case for fundamental change in EU policy, and indeed EU Treaties, is now unanswerable and should be the stuff of EU Council deliberations. The Lisbon Treaty is old hat. It is a charter for the policies of failure. We need a new treaty for a new time, she concluded.
 
Expressing his support and congratulations to the EU leaders who met at the Spring Summit, Seán Ó Neachtain (UEN, IE) said that, as far as Ireland is concerned, it is quite clear that the bottom line is that EU support is needed. Ireland's economy, which was very strong, has now got very weak, just like many other economies in the world today.  It is, he said, only by acting together that we will get out of this recession and the greatest challenge for Europe at present is to stick together to make sure that we strengthen this economic unit . It is clear, he said that the basic rules of the Lisbon Treaty are more necessary now than ever. Concluding, he said “as we say in Ireland, solidarity is the only way to succeed.”
 
Charles Tannock (EPP-ED, UK) welcomed the Council’s declaration on the Eastern Partnership (EP). As rapporteur on the eastern dimension of the ENP, he supported closer relations with the six countries to the east. The announcement of EUR 600 million for the EP is excellent and he welcomed the proposed ENPI spending on improving EU energy security through better storage facilities for oil and gas and building new pipelines.
 
The Council has also rightly decided to double the assistance package for financially distressed non-eurozone countries in Eastern Europe, from EUR 25 billion to EUR 50 billion. This measure will help stabilise countries like Hungary and Latvia. However, he warned, we must not forget Ukraine either, which is suffering severe financial turmoil. A banking collapse in Ukraine could have catastrophic contagion consequences in countries elsewhere in Eastern Europe, and also in Italy and Austria, whose banks are the most exposed to the Ukrainian market.
 
Finally, while he fully accepted the right of Turkey and Russia to be observers in EURO-NEST, neither country should use this position for its own foreign policy ends. The members of EURO-NEST are sovereign states with the right to decide their own Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
 
Proinsias De Rossa (PES, IE). said that deregulation of the workplace, flexibility – meaning no protection, no security and cuts in social services is a recipe for fanning an uncontrollable forest fire. Mr De Rossa said he believed that there needs to be a change of government in Ireland and a change of attitude in the European Council. “Let us have the Employment Summit of all Member States on 7 May”, he concluded.