as support from the European Conservatives and Reformists. 3. The election of 63-year-old Tajani has been criticised bec
European Parliament’s new President: Antonio Tajani (EPP) What’s at stake? A Grayling Policy Briefing Antonio Tajani (EPP, Italian) “Today a new era begins in the chamber. I will be everybody’s president, I don’t intend to be the Prime Minister of the European Union.” In a Nutshell 1.
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On 17 January the European Parliament elected the Italian EPP MEP Antonio Tajani as its 29th President. Mr Tajani won in the fourth ballot in a vote against other Italian, Gianni Pittella, from the S&D party. Mr Tajani’s victory came about through a partnership between the EPP and the ALDE group, as well as support from the European Conservatives and Reformists. The election of 63-year-old Tajani has been criticised because of his close links with Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his alleged negligence in the Dieselgate scandal when he was EU Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship. The Italian is likely to be a far lower-key President than Schulz who attracted praise for attempting to increase the influence of the European Parliament within the EU. The result means the end of the grand coalition between the S&D and the EPP which may lead to a significant reshuffle within the European Parliament committees along with a major shift of power within the three main EU institutions.
The European Parliament Elections Background: This week’s European Parliament President elections were unusually competitive, with many MEPs putting forward their candidacy, namely Antonio Tajani (EPP, Italy), Gianni Pittella (S&D, Italy), Helga Stevens (ECR, Belgium), Jean Lamberts (Greens/EFA, UK), Eleonora Forenza (GUE/NGL, Italy), and Laurentiu Rebega (ENF, Romania). Shortly before the elections, ALDE leader Guy Verhofstadt withdrew his candidacy and announced his support for the EPP candidate. Many saw this as controversial, since he had previously voiced his support for the S&D. EPP and ALDE’s decision to form a pro-European coalition underlines how mainstream pro-EU parties are trying to unite against a vocal eurosceptic minority. The end of the ‘Grand Coalition’ The grand coalition between the largest groups in the European Parliament, the EPP and the S&D, was formed in July 2014 with the aim of sharing the presidency of the Parliament over the five-year term. The S&D MEP Martin Schulz became the President as a result, as this would ensure that the S&D would hold one of the Presidential positions within the EU institutions. The end of the grand coalition in December 2016 was mainly triggered by the S&D, who argued with the EPP over who should be appointed the next President of the Parliament, and a disagreement over austerity-driven policies. Head of the S&D group Gianni Pittella said that the grand coalition never really existed, and was merely a means to cooperate on legislation. The S&D group also feared that after Martin Schulz’s term ended, the three EU institutions would be dominated by the EPP.
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Impact on European Governance and Business A new deal in the European Parliament In exchange for Verhofstadt’s endorsement of Tajani, the liberals will chair the Conference of Committee Chairs and the committee of investigation into the terrorist attacks carried out in Europe in recent months. The socialists are likely to see their role in Parliament diminished as they are effectively relegated to opposition status. However, this allows the S&D to position itself more to the left. EPP group to be in charge of European Institutions Tajani’s win means the EPP now controls the three main EU institutions (European Parliament, European Commission, and European Council), which will significantly reduce the socialists’ power in Brussels and across the EU. Any criticism or failings of the EU will weigh heavily on the EPP in a year of crucial national elections, including in the Netherlands, France and Germany. Industry-friendly President of the European Parliament The new ALDE/EPP coalition, after years of EPP/S&D predominance, will involve less social dialogue and allow for more business influence. The EPP/ALDE deal includes a push to give the Parliament a bigger say in the Brexit negotiations, with Verhofstadt the lead Brexit negotiator for the European Parliament.
Stakeholder Reactions
European Commission - A senior official source from the Commission said Tajani worked a lot with interest groups and lobbyists. According to sources, he has a good “political nose” but is not a visionary.
European Council - European Council President Donald Tusk underlined the importance of the European Parliament President at a “time of crisis in the bloc”. He welcomed Tajani’s election and said he looks forward to further constructive cooperation and to build a strong EU.
Policy-makers – Policy-makers from the European Parliament were very critical of Tajani’s election. They underlined his close ties with former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his responsibilities in the Dieselgate scandal, overseeing emissions legislation during his time as Commissioner. He was also criticised for closing a non-transparent deal with the ALDE leader Guy Verhofstadt and his proausterity stance. According to some EU officials, he does not defend the values of solidarity, transparency, and a common EU approach.
Next steps
On 18 January, the Parliament’s Vice-Presidents are being elected. As things stand, 4 MEPs from the S&D group were voted as Vice-Presidents, 4 MEPs from the EPP, 1 from ALDE, one from the ECR. Four candidates remain to be voted, which might favour either the S&D party or the EPP. Following this, there might be some changes to the composition of committees – all will be known during the week of 23rd February. As Tajani’s win gives the EPP control over all three key EU political institutions, some are calling for either Jean-Claude Juncker (European Commission) or Donald Tusk (European Council) to make way for a figure from the left. However, there is no consensus – nor much likelihood - of that happening. ***
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