Lucia Nicholsonová (Renew Europe, Slovakia) was re-elected in the first round (38 votes in favour) as Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs on Monday 14 June, thanks to the support of the EPP, S&D, Renew Europe, Greens/EFA and The Left Groups.
The opposing ECR candidate, Margarita de La Pisa Carrión from Spain, received 15 votes. Two MEPs abstained from the vote.
This means that Ms Nicholsonová will be able to chair the committee until the end of her term in November.
The news provoked the anger of sovereignists. “By refusing to honour the democratic principles that the European Parliament had pledged to uphold, a majority of political groups have today betrayed all those who look to it for democratic leadership and have undermined its moral standing in the world”, denounced ECR Group co-chair Raffaele Fitto of Italy.
His group advocated respecting the distribution of senior positions in Parliament between political groups in accordance with the D’Hondt rule applied after the May 2019 European elections.
Parliament’s legal service had recommended a new election after Ms Nicholsonová left the ECR Group due to disputes with her former political family, notably concerning the possible integration of the Hungarian Fidesz delegation, which was ousted from the EPP Group (see EUROPE 12739/29, 12726/31). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)