Two trends would seem to be emerging within the GUE/NGL group as regards its positioning within the political arena of the new European Parliament, on Wednesday 5 June at the end of the third internal meeting since the European elections.
A first trend, coming from the right wing of the group, represented mainly by Syriza and Die Linke, would like to avoid being marginalised by the other European Parliament groups, and to cooperate with social democrats and ecologists.
Structured around the member parties of the pan-European movement "Now the People" (including La France insoumise, Podemos, and the Scandinavian left-wing parties), another trend is for the group to become permanently part of the opposition, to become in a way "the scratch coat" of the emerging grand coalition.
According to the latest European Parliament projections and various internal analyses, a likely coalition could be formed around the EPP, ALDE&R and S&D groups (see EUROPE 12264/2). The Greens/EFA groups could be involved. A hypothetical progressive alliance around the ALDE&R, S&D, Greens/EFA, and GUE/NGL groups would not achieve an absolute majority.
Joint Declaration. The various GUE/NGL member parties have also started to discuss the joint declaration, which has been necessary since the adoption of the 'Corbett' report amending the European Parliament's Rules of Procedure (see EUROPE 12184/7).
This declaration should be fairly consensual and based on three main pillars: workers' rights, the fight against climate change and feminism. The group should stick to a confederal structure even if some MEPs would like to review the internal rules of the political group to make the group's action more coherent.
Group size. The group could include two new Irish MEPs. The group was expected to be joined by a new animalist recruit from Portugal, but she would have preferred to join the Greens/EFA group because of an agreement with the national green party. The two Dutch and German animal rights advocates would remain in the GUE/NGL, however. Nevertheless, the GUE/NGL should remain the smallest group within the European Parliament.
Presidency. No names have so far leaked for the various key positions and in particular to succeed Gabi Zimmer, the German, who has been the current president of the group since March 2012.
The negotiations will be concluded in the coming weeks as part of a "global package", an internal source said. Some felt that the future group chairperson did not necessarily have to come from the largest national delegation. This was particularly the case with the French Francis Wurtz (PCF), who had chaired the group from 1999 to 2009.
Discussions will resume next Wednesday. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)