• European Union Commission wants European powers to close external borders in a pandemic

  • European Union Macron calls for "reorganization" of European Union policy on migration

The group of Socialists and Democrats will

not present a candidate to preside over the

European Parliament for

the next two and a half years

. After months of uncertainty, doubts and after having shown that their intention was to break the alternation pact signed in 2019 with the European People's Party, the Social Democrats have accepted this Tuesday

that they had no candidate

, that the president would not be able to continue and that the options to prevail were too few, after not having the sure support of the liberal families and the Greens.

In the summer of 2019, when the heads of State and Government of the 27 agreed in a marathon summit on the distribution of high community positions, the presidency of the European Parliament ended up

in the hands of an unknown Italian named

David Sassoli

, from the Democratic Party. It was the way to maintain a balance, after the presidency of the Commission was left in the hands of the EPP and a rather conservative candidate, like Christine Lagarde, ended up as head of the ECB. And that the Liberals achieved the presidency of the European Council, with the Belgian Charles Michel. The agreement, yes, stipulated that in the middle of the legislature Sassoli would step aside and allow a 'popular' (presumably his head of ranks, Manfred Weber) to take the baton.

However, a few weeks ago

the Socialists began to make it clear that they had no intention of respecting those terms

. They argue that today's Europe has nothing to do with that of then and that the conservative majority of 2019 has disappeared, so giving them a new position in the institutions would not reflect at all what is happening in national governments. The problem is that while they launched this idea, and began the consultations to carry out a revolt, their candidate, President Sassoli, fell ill. It happened in mid-September, when he was unable to preside over the plenary speech on the State of the EU.

He caught pneumonia and has never fully recovered

, blowing up the hopes of the group.

Different possibilities were raised, such as the one that the leader of the group, the Spaniard, Iratxe García, would take the step, but the numbers do not come out.

Group sources explain that this Tuesday, in Strasbourg, Sassoli has taken the floor, and has said that after exploring all the possibilities to present a progressive candidacy,

the conclusion is that there would be no alternative majority to the current one

, and that "divide to pro-European forces would be irresponsible. "

The European People's Party chose Maltese Roberta Metsola as a candidate last month.

And the Left has bet on the Spanish Sira Rego, head of the IU delegation

and federal spokesperson for the party in Madrid. Parliamentary logic suggests that Metsola is the favorite and that without a rival among the Social Democrats it would have a clear path, but to get enough votes on January 18, it will have to negotiate.

"

The political situation has changed compared to 2019

, social democracy is advancing in Europe and this weight must be reflected in the European Parliament. Our vote has not been decided, and from tomorrow I will begin negotiations with the Popular Group to reinforce the weight of the socialists in the European Parliament and an agenda that revalues ​​our political priorities ", explains Iratxe García to this newspaper.

Balances

At this Tuesday's meeting of the group's bureau, which includes both the heads of national delegations and the Socialist vice-presidents, the main note and complaint has been the "ambiguity" of the positions of Renew, the Liberals, and the Los Green. Sassoli, who never directly confirmed his candidacy but who deliberately played with that 'ambiguity'

saying that he would do what was best for his people

, has left many enemies and detractors along the way. He is not a threat to EU leaders, because his profile has been very low, but he has angered different delegations. The liberals and the greens were not going to give their free support for an action that was going to generate discomfort in the main force of the chamber,

so the decision has been to stop and start preparing the opposition.

The European People's Party has 187 seats in the European Parliament.

The group of Socialists and Democrats has 145 seats out of 705. The Liberals (Renew, with a new French boss) have 98. The hardest right (ID) is placed next with 75, followed by the Greens (68), of the Conservatives (ECR, 63), and the Left of Sira Rego, with 39. The forces of the toughest right and the extreme right

have been flirting for some time with the possibility of uniting in a megagroup

that would exceed 110 seats and would be the third political force in Strasbourg, but so far they have not been able to formalize anything.

The vote to elect the new president (and vice-presidents and other positions) will take place in mid-January in the French city, in the first plenary session of the new course.

It is a majority vote, with several rounds, it

is secret and does not count white or null votes

.

The Greens have not yet clarified their future, and if they will present a candidate.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • European Union

Engine Thinking of buying a car?

These are the greenest vehicles on the market

Commerce Spain breaks historical export record in 2021: 229,963 million euros

The Yazidis who were forced to eat grass in Iraq and Europe

See links of interest

  • Last News

  • Translator

  • Holidays 2021

  • 2022 business calendar

  • Check Christmas Lottery

  • How to

  • Home THE WORLD today

  • Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Bitci Baskonia

  • Red Star - Barça

  • FC Andorra - Celta de Vigo

  • San Sebastián de los Reyes - Fuenlabrada

  • Rayo Majadahonda - Malaga