21/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - 8 candidates for ombudsman post. On 20 May, at the opening of the European Parliament plenary session, the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, announced that eight candidates had applied for the post of Ombudsman. These candidacies were sent to him before 8 May deadline, although Schulz explained that only six are eligible. The six are Alex Brenninkmeijer (Dutch Ombudsman), Markus Jaeger (Council of Europe official), Ria Oomen-Ruijten MEP (EPP, Netherlands), Emily O'Reilly (Irish Ombudsman), Dagmar Roth-Behrendt MEP (S&D, Germany) and Francesco Speroni MEP (ELD, Italy). The EP petitions committee will hold a hearing for these candidates on 18 June and the new Ombudsman will be elected during the July plenary session. The new Ombudsman will replace Nikiforos Diamandouros and will take up his/her role on 1 October until the end of the mandate in the middle of 2014 (see EUROPE 10828). (CG/transl.fl)