Brussels, 14/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament has re-elected Joseph Daul (UMP, France) as its leader by an overwhelming majority. Daul has been the at the helm of the group since 2007 and will now lead the Centre-Right group, the largest in the European Parliament, until the next European elections in 2014. This farmer from Alsace has been an MEP since 1999. He chaired the agriculture and rural development committee, then the Conference of the chairs of the parliamentary committees, before succeeding Hans-Gert Pöttering as leader of the EPP Group. Thanking his colleagues for their confidence in re-electing him for a second term of office, Daul said he would continue to work for a rapid exit from the crisis in Europe and for compliance with the Community method which has brought 60 years of peace and prosperity. The newly elected or re-elected deputy leaders of the EPP Group are Vito Bonsignore, Gunnar Hökmark, Ionnis Kasoulides, Marian-Jean Marinescu, Jaime Mayor Oreja, Jan Olbrycht, Paulo Rangel, Jozsef Szajer, Manfred Weber and Corien Wortmann-Kool. (LC/transl.rt)