Fraktionen im Europäischen Parlament wählen ihre Vorsitzenden[en] 

In the last parliament there were seven political groups. Following the 4-7 June European elections, some changes are already occurring, such as the establishing of one more group, on an anti-federalist platform, spearheaded by the British Conservatives (EurActiv 23/06/09). 

MEPs have many reasons for joining a group. One is to gain a platform, as speaking time is divided in the European Parliament, according to the size of a group. Also, groups determine to a large degree the committees and delegations in which members will, as well as the ‘rapporteurs’ to steer legislation through the House. 

Political groups are thus at the heart of Parliament's political life. At present though, their attention is focused on the attribution of leading positions within the Assembly as the necessary pre-requisite of fulfilling their political agendas. This requires not only seeking agreement with other groups, but also balancing interests within groups. 

Joseph Daul was re-elected Chairman of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the largest political group in the European Parliament, by an overwhelming majority on Tuesday. 

225 of 228 the group’s members present for the ballot voted in favour of the Frenchman. The EPP group has 264 members following the June European elections, down from 277 in the previous legislature. 

Almost simultaneously, Socialist leader Martin Schulz (PES, Germany) was re-elected Chairman of the Parliament’s second biggest political group, by 144 votes to 163. 

After suffering a heavy defeat in the June election, the socialist group has decided to enlarge and incorporated the Italian Democratic Party, changing its name to the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in Europe (PASDE) at the same time. With 21 Italian members from the Democratic party, PASDE now has 183 MEPs. 

The Greens also re-elected their leadership, with Daniel Cohn Bendit (elected in France) and Rebecca Harms (Germany) co-chairing the group. Harms replaces Monica Frassoni as co-chair after the Italian failed to be re-elected in June. 

A statement  from the Greens lists the vice-presidents who were appointed: Jill Evans (Wales), Reinhard Bütikofer (Germany), Marije Cornelissen (Netherlands), Eva Lichtenberger (Austria), Raül Romeva (Spain), Claude Turmes (Luxembourg) and Emilie Turunen (Denmark). The Greens/EFA has 53 MEPs. 

Committee chairs in the balance

According to the number of MEPs elected and the size of their country, political groups also distribute the positions of deputy leaders who are also responsible for portfolios, such as budget or foreign affairs. The MEPs, some of which arrived in Brussels yesterday in this capacity for the first time, also told their groups in which European parliament committee or foreign delegations they would like to seat in. 

The more experienced MEPs and the leaders of national delegations in each group entered in discrete consultations with their group leaders yesterday over key committee or foreign delegation chairs.

Fourteen positions are also to be distributed as vice-president of the European Parliament. Although their attributions are mainly symbolic, they are often seen chairing plenary meetings and can wield influence in the Assembly.

No agreement over Parliament President

For the time being there is no agreement over the next president of the European Parliament, who is expected to be nominated on 14 July during the Assembly’s opening session in Strasbourg, EurActiv was told. 

First, the EPP has not yet decided whether it will push Italy’s Mario Mauro or Poland’s Jerzy Buzek for the Parliament’s top chair (EurActiv 26/03/09). In the centre-left camp, socialist leader Martin Schulz is the candidate for the PASDE group and could be elected in case the EPP and PASDE decide to share the two-and-a half year term in the top seat, as they have done in the previous Parliament.

Graham Watson, who was until now leader of the Liberal group ALDE, has been the first to put forward its candidacy (EurActiv 08/01/09), proposing an "ideological alliance" with the EPP over the five-year term. However, his group has only 80 MEPs left following the June ballot, (down from 103) and is not big enough to provide the EPP with a sufficiently comfortable majority. 

Consultations are also ongoing between group leaders over the election of José Manuel Barroso for a second term at the European Commission. The Portuguese received backing from EU leaders at a summit last week but he must now be confirmed by a majority vote in Parliament (EurActiv 19/06/09).

Towards a 'grand coalition' to back Barroso?

The Czech and incoming Swedish presidencies of the EU have been asked to lead negotiations with political groups in Parliament in order to see whether a majority of MEPs are ready to support Barroso. 

But the political group’s decision is linked to the nomination of the European Parliament president, sources told EurActiv. 

Party sources inside the centre-left regretted that Schulz continued to oppose Barroso and warned he risked throwing the socialists into the opposition instead of backing the Portuguese to build a "grand coalition" on German model.