The continued work of the four main political groups - EPP, S&D, Renew Europe, Greens/EFA - to develop a strategic agenda for the European Parliament for the next 5 years is an enigma (see EUROPE 12288/2).
For the first time after the package appointments made by the European Council (see EUROPE 12287/1), the chairmen of these groups met specifically on Tuesday 9 July. But no clear direction seems to have emerged.
"It's frozen. But no one wants to say it or do anything about it", a parliamentary source said. "It is not clear with working groups", said a second source from another political family. But, for a third source from a third political group, "negotiations are continuing".
However, no date for the resumption of work seems to have been set, although the objective previously set was to reach a shared programme by Friday 12 July.
The S&D group has continued to work internally on its own political priorities, which it will submit on Wednesday 10 July to the candidate for the Presidency of the European Commission, the German Christian Democrat Ursula von der Leyen. We Social Democrats want a revision of the Stability and Growth Pact to make it more socially and ecologically sustainable, ambitious measures on effective company taxation and harmonisation of corporation tax (CCCTB) and a realisation of the social pillar.
It is only after this meeting with Mrs von der Leyen and the commitments she could make that the S&D group will define its position with a view to the election of the nominated candidate, which would be moved from Tuesday 16 to Wednesday 17 July. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)