The members of the GUE/NGL group decided in favour of a temporary collective leadership composed of the Portuguese Marisa Matias (Bloco de Esquerda) and Joao Ferreira (Partido Comunista Portugues - PCP), the Danish Nikolaj Villumsen (Enhedslisten - de rød-grønne) and the German Martin Schirdewan (Die Linke), after a group meeting on Wednesday 26 June.
Martin Schirdewan will be the interim president until a final election on 16 July, several sources confirm. Greek Dimitrios Papadimoulis (Syriza) should be reappointed as Vice-President of the European Parliament (unless the EFDD succeeds in forming a group, we are told). The Spanish Sira Rego (Izquierda Unida) will be presented as a candidate for the Presidency of the European Parliament. A "symbolic" candidacy, we are confirmed, for the first round of voting, Wednesday 3 July (see EUROPE 12282/14).
Finally, neither Marisa Matias nor Younous Omarjee (La France insoumise) (see EUROPE 12278/11) will have found the majority to obtain the presidency of the group. Marisa Matias due to the fierce opposition of the PCP. Younous Omarjee would have caused some mistrust, given that the Left Party had left the EL due in particular to disputes with Syriza and an electoral dynamic of La France insoumise at half mast. He could, however, claim to chair a committee. Some envisage the Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL) - currently chaired by the GUE/NGL - others the Regional Development Committee (REGI), where Mr Omarjee is currently Vice-President.
For the vote on 16 July, Martin Schirdewan could reach a consensus and be definitively renewed, according to some. If this were to be the case, a German Member of Parliament would then continue to lead the group, following Gabi Zimmer, the current chairperson of the group.
Political priorities for the Commission. On Monday, the group is expected to present its political priorities for the next European Commission in Strasbourg. The Frenchman Manon Aubry (LFI) is in charge of the writing.
41 MEPs. With the recent arrival of two Irish and one German animalist, the group now has 41 members. This number is expected to remain the same after the British leave, we are told, which could increase the group's relative weight in the European Parliament. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)