| Author (Corporate) | Cardiff EDC (Compiler) |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2019 |
| Content Type | News, Overview |
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Summary: Reports, analyses and information regarding the changes occurred in the European Parliament (EP) ollowing the outcome of the election held in May 2019, particularly regarding the political groups and political leadership in the newly-elected composition of the chamber. Further information: As a number of newcoming political parties considered their options in terms of which political group to join in the European Parliament, leadership positions were also discussed and new groups were formed or rebranded. In the aftermath of the election, it was reported that some newly-elected members from Catalonia had not been allowed in the premises of the European Parliament. An EP spokesperson later noted that the lists of elected MEPs had not be sent by the Spanish authorities and therefore passes had not been set up, and the decision had been made not to provide temporary passes. Media sources connected the incident with the judicial trials and political issues surrounding the pro-independence movement in that region. Manfred Weber was re-elected as leader of the European People's Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament on 5 June 2019. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) announced on 12 June it would change its name to 'Renew Europe'. This decision was seen as a way to accommodate the newcoming group of members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from France's La République En Marche (LREM). The bids to become the leader of this political group in the chamber were also subject to attention from media outlets, as the French candidate eventually withdrew her name from the race. On 13 June 2019, the creation of a new far-right group - named 'Identity and Democracy' - was announced. This political group would feature 73 MEPs - thus becoming the fifth largest in the chamber - and was set to replace the 'European of Nations and Freedom - ENF' group. The ID group includes Italy's Lega (League), France's Rassemblement National (National Rally), Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD), Austria's FPÖ (Freedom Party) and a number of other far-right political forces from across the European Union. The centre-left S&D group elelected Iratxe García as its ader in the European Parliament on 18 June. On the following day, the liberal 'Renew Europe' elected Dacian Cioloș for an equivalent position. Media sources also reported on the struggle for the UK's Brexit Party and Italy's 5Star Movement to reform their EFDD group in the European Parliament following the election. The constituent session of the new configuration of the European Parliament (the ninth term) was held on 2 July 2019. Italian MEP David-Maria Sassoli (S&D) was elected for the presidency of the European Parliament on 3 July, following two rounds of voting with 345 votes. At the session, MEPs expressed reservations regarding the process to fill the leading positions of the main institutions of the European Union. |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
| Subject Tags | European Parliament |
| International Organisations | European Union [EU] |
