2009 European Parliament election Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland) was elected Parliament President, winning with 555 votes to 89 votes over his opponent Eva-Britt Svensson (EUL-NGL, Sweden). The two candidates were: MEPs voted in a secret ballot on Tuesday morning 14 July 2009. The two largest groups in Parliament, the EPP-ED and PES, agreed to share the post of President of the European Parliament as they have done for all but two terms of Parliament. The first half of the term was taken by Jerzy Buzek MEP of the EPP, who was the first MEP from Eastern Europe to hold the post. He passed it
Prime Minister of Poland series of reform laws passed through parliament, strengthening and centralizing the prime minister's prerogatives. These reforms would form the basis of the current 1997 Constitution. Significant changes included the ability for the prime minister to call a vote of confidence, the premier's exclusive right to allocate and reshuffle ministers, and also for the prime minister to solely determine the areas of competence for ministries. Many of the prime minister's new powers were gained at the expense of the presidency, which lost the rights to consult ministerial appointments, reject the prime minister's cabinet selection or reshuffles, chair the cabinet, and to