18, January 2017
European Parliament elects new president 0
Antonio Tajani of the European People’s Party (EPP) has been elected as the European Parliament’s new president. The 63-year-old Italian defeated another Italian, S&D socialist Gianni Pitella, on Tuesday and is set to replace Germany’s Martin Schulz.
In the past, Tajani served as the spokesman for former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and as a European commissioner.
The battle among the two Italians was won by Tajani on a vote of 351-282 in the decisive final round, which only the top two candidates managed to enter.
Before voting began, the EEP, the largest group in the block’s legislature, formed a coalition with the ALDE liberals, that gave Tajani the required lead over Pittella.
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“This was as democratic process and as I said today, I will be the president of all, I will respect all members of parliament and all groups,” said Tajani.
“We must devote our attention to all those who are in tough living conditions,” he added while giving a short acceptance speech, during which he also dedicated his victory to the victims of a deadly August earthquake in central Italy and all those injured by terrorism.
In a statement issued to congratulate Tajani, Pittella noted that it had been some time since the European Parliament had elected a president “in a fully transparent and open competition without any pre-arranged deals.”
“Today, the political landscape in the European Parliament is dramatically changed with the birth of a new conservative block. We will constructively oppose this block,” added Pittella.
Presstv
25, January 2017
Germany: Ex-European Parliament head to run against Merkel 0
Germany’s center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) has nominated Martin Schulz as its candidate to compete against conservative Angela Merkel for the post of chancellor in this year’s federal election. SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel announced on Tuesday at a press conference at the party headquarters in Berlin that the SPD committee had unanimously made the decision.
“Martin Schulz will be the SPD chancellor candidate for the 2017 federal elections. That is our unanimous party committee decision,” said Gabriel. Gabriel said Schulz “will also be the party chairman,” adding that the SPD is expected to confirm both his candidacy as well as his party leadership at a meeting on Sunday.
Following the announcement, Schulz said “it is an extraordinary honor that I, with pride and also with a natural humbleness, accept it and I will try and make the best out of it for our country.” Schulz also slammed Merkel austerity policies, which he said “have no doubt contributed to the deep crises in the EU since 2008, to the isolation of a dominant German government.”
Schulz, 61, a former president of the European Parliament, will run against Chancellor Merkel, 62, from the rival Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who will be running for a fourth term in the federal election slated for September 24.
The SPD and the CDU are the two main parties in the German parliament, known as the Bundestag.The SPD’s decision comes as opinion polls indicate Schulz is far more popular than Gabriel; however, other surveys suggest he still faces an extremely tough race against Merkel.
Presstv