06/01/2017 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 6 January, leader of the Liberals at the European Parliament, Belgium's Guy Verhofstadt, officially threw his hat into the ring for the Presidency of the European Parliament, alongside the Italian candidates Gianni Pittella and Antonio Tajani, of the S&D and EPP groups respectively. "It is time for change, time for a broad coalition of all pro-European forces that will put the interests of the European citizens first", he commented on his Facebook page. In a manifesto accompanying his candidacy, he lays emphasis on three points: strengthening the European Parliament, renewing the European promise and winning back the citizens, and improving governance at the European Parliament. This brings the number of official candidates to seven, with Eleonora Forenza (GUE/NGL, Italy), Piernicola Pedicini (EFDD, Italy), Jean Lambert (Greens/EFA, UK) and Helga Stevens (ECR, Belgium) already declared. The next President of the Parliament, who will be selected on 17 January, therefore stands a very good chance of being an Italian. This has not happened since the tenure of Emilio Colombo (see EUROPE 11696). (SP)