Top stories: 14-20 June 2014
- Schulz elected to head Socialists for top jobs talks: The Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament have elected Martin Schulz as their new President. Schulz will lead the group in talks over the election of a new Commission President and stated that he foresees a “tandem” with the frontrunner from the European People’s Party, Jean-Claude Juncker. However, sources in Berlin told Der Spiegel that Schulz’s Social Democrats would not claim the Commission job in the face of opposition from Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Christian Democrats party, but would look to secure the presidency of the Parliament for Schulz with centre-right backing as part of an overall package. Schulz stepped down as Parliament President before the vote in the S&D Group, with Gianni Pittella taking over as acting President until the Parliament reconvenes on 1 July. Europolitics; Deutsche Welle; EUObserver; S&D news; PES news; The Parliament; EurActiv; Der Spiegel
- Stubb to toe economic line as Katainen heads to Brussels: Alexander Stubb has been elected as the leader of Finland’s centre-right National Coalition Party and will become Finland’s prime minister, replacing Jyrki Katainen. Stubb will lead a coalition government that includes the Social Democrats but has pledged to maintain the core elements of the austerity programme of his predecessor. Meanwhile Katainen has been nominated to replace Olli Rehn in the European Commission. Rehn will become an MEP. A hearing for Katainen is set to be held before the summer recess. Bloomberg; Economic Times; EurActiv; EUObserver; European Voice; Europolitics
- Flemish separatists snub ALDE as ECR becomes third-largest group: The New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) has chosen to join the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group in the European Parliament, rejecting an invitation from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) group, led by Guy Verhofstadt, who was re-elected to his post this week. The N-VA’s decisionmakes the ECR the third-largest party in the European Parliament. It has 68 seats to ALDE’s 67. Both groups added further members this week as the formation of political factions continues. EUObserver; European Voice; De Standaard; EurActiv; New Europe; Europolitics
- Loosen EU budget rules in return for support, German Minister and Socialists tell Juncker: European socialist leaders have said that policy concessions, including a loosening of budget deficit rules, are needed for them to back Jean-Claude Juncker’s candidacy for the presidency of the European Commission. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and German economy minister Sigmar Gabriel are among those calling for a change of tack. Gabriel supports the possibility for states to be given more time to cut deficits if they introduce reforms in return. He argues that right-wing successes throughout Europe in the recent elections demonstrate the failure of pure austerity measures. EUObserver
- Farage secures EFD future: British Eurosceptic leader Nigel Farage announced on Wednesday that his Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) Group will re-form in the next parliament. The UK Independence Party’s 24 MEPs will sit with 17 Italian MEPs from the Five Star Movement (M5S), two Lithuanians, one Czech, one Latvian, two Sweden Democrats and Joëlle Bergeron, an independent French member who was elected on a National Front ticket. The group will hold its first official meeting on 24 June in Brussels. M5S group leader, Ignazio Corrao, said that M5S MEPs will maintain a free stance within the group, and could often vote with the Greens. Earlier in the week Dutch MEP Bas Belder quit the EFD for the ECR Group. EUObserver; Europolitics; EurActiv; Chicago Tribune; New Europe
