Informal deals in doubt as Euro MPs begin the search for a new Parliament president

Date: 23/11/1995

Christian Democrat Euro MPs are getting agitated about finding a credible candidate to replace European Parliament President Klaus Hänsch, even though he still has a year left in the job.

Under an informal agreement between the two largest political groups in the Parliament, the next president should be an EPP member. In addition, Spain and Germany - the two biggest national groups in the EPP - have already agreed to try and give the post to a Spaniard. Obvious front runners are former Commissioner Abel Matutes and one of the EP vice-presidents, José Maria Gil-Robles Gil-Delgado.

But the latter has yet to impress his colleagues and the former could head back to Madrid if his Partido Popular party wins next year's elections.

Rumour has it that the Germans now want to get out of their unofficial deal. The names of other EP parliamentary vice-presidents are now emerging: those of diligent French member Nicole Fontaine and energetic Greek New Democracy MEP Georgios Anastassapoulos, in particular. But some smart money is now being laid on a dark horse, Greek New Democracy MEP Efthymios Christodoulou. An MEP between 1984 and 1990, re-elected in 1994, the 64-year-old has been finance minister and governor of his country's central bank. “He knows everyone and has earned widespread respect in the Parliament,” says one fan.

The key question now is whether an MEP from a small member state can become president of the 626-member Parliament. Since 1979, the post has been consistently held by Euro MPs from big countries (France, Germany, the UK and Spain), except for the two and a half years when Piet Dankert from the Netherlands was president.