Two candidates expressed interest in the position of S&D Group Chairman in the European Parliament at a third group meeting on Thursday 6 June. They are the current president of the group, Udo Bullmann of Germany, and the first vice-president of the party (PES), Iratxe García of Spain. However, applications remain open until 12 June.
The latter has a considerable advantage, since her party, the PSOE, which is also the party of the interim Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, won a major victory in the European elections: it obtained 33% of the votes, which gives it 20 deputies (6 more than in 2014). Udo Bullmann's party, the SPD, on the other hand, suffered heavy losses: it won 15.8% of the vote, or 16 seats versus 27 in the 8th legislature.
The two candidates will now campaign internally, between now and the election scheduled for 18 June. The Vice-Presidents are to be appointed on 19 June.
Pedro Sanchez will attend an informal dinner on 7 June in Brussels with several of his European counterparts, including some of the negotiators from the three main political families of the future European Parliament. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)