Martin Schulz was today (1 July) elected for a second term as European Parliament President but nominations for other top jobs will keep new and re-elected MEPs busy this week. EURACTIV France reports.
Martin Schulz was today (1 July) elected for a second term as European Parliament President but nominations for other top jobs will keep new and re-elected MEPs busy this week. EURACTIV France reports.
Martin Schulz ran for his old job, and won it. He beat his rivals: Austrian Ulrike Lunacek, Greens candidate, Spain’s Pablo Iglesias Turrión, backed by the European far-left, and the UK’s Sajjad Karim, member of the European Conservatives and Reformist Group. Schulz was left unopposed by the European People’s Party, after they struck deals with the Socialist Party for other top jobs.
Fourteen vice-presidents of the European Parliament must be elected. Each MEP can vote for more than one candidate. In order to be elected, the candidates have to win an absolute majority of votes. Each delegation will manoeuvre to win one of the top-jobs within the European Parliament.
Wednesday (2 July), the Parliament will elect five Quaestors. Quaestors are in charge of administrative issues that directly concern MEPs. The second day of Parliamentary sessions will give the European Council and the European Commission a chance to review the conclusions from the European Council on 26-27 June. This council saw the EU leaders chose Luxembourg’s former Prime Minister, Jean-Claude Juncker, as the new President of the EU Commission.
On Thursday, the composition of the Parliament’s 20 committees will be determined. Each committee has 24 to 76 members and an equal amount of substitute members.
Italian Presidency of the EU
Thursday will also be a chance for the Greek presidency to pass the baton on to its Italian counterparts.
The Greek presidency, which has been at the head of the European Council for the past six months, will be reviewed. The Greek goals for their presidency included economic growth, tackling unemployment, promoting economic and social cohesion, structural reforms, deepening integration and completing the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). During the 51st Meeting of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC) on 16 June, the Greek Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras, did a recap of the past six months under the Greek EU presidency. He highlighted progress made in the banking union and immigration reform.
Matteo Renzi, President of the Italian council of ministers, will present the presidency’s priorities for the next six months in front of this week’s assembly. It will focus on economic growth and job creation, the EU’s external borders and strengthening the EU’s role on the global stage.
