On Tuesday 11 September, the leaders of the GUE/NGL Group, Gabi Zimmer from Germany, and S&D Group, Udo Bullmann from Germany, and the co-leader of the Greens/EFA Group, Philippe Lamberts from Belgium, announced they did not want to be nominated as the Spitzenkandidat by their respective European parties ahead of the European elections in May 2019.
"I think the parties of the left will present a candidature. As the leader of the GUE/NGL, I cannot compete or make myself available...