Watson welcomes ETA ceasefire announcement

Speech delivered on Wed 22nd Mar 2006

Graham Watson, on behalf of the ALDE Group. - Mr President, normally if you invite the political group leaders to take the floor it is because of some tragedy which has afflicted our world. It is a pleasure today to be invited to celebrate something which can only be regarded as a victory.

In Western Europe, thanks to the political leaders of the post-war generation, we enjoy democracy. In a democracy, a change comes through the ballot, not through the bullet. The actions of ETA, the IRA, the Red Brigades and the other terrorist groups we have known in the past have been unjustifiable terrorist actions. On behalf of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, I welcome the process through which ETA has announced this ceasefire. I look forward to seeing dialogue and democracy as the basis for change in Spain and across our continent.

(Applause)