While the political groups in the future hemicycle are still being formed, the Greens/European Free Alliance (EFA) group in the European Parliament elected Bas Eickhout (Dutch) and Terry Reintke (German) as their Co-Presidents on Wednesday 19 June. The pair have led the European Green Party campaign in recent months as ‘co-Spitzenkandidaten.
At the press briefing that followed their election, which took place between two group meetings, Bas Eickhout, who succeeds Philippe Lamberts (Belgian), expressed his satisfaction at the situation, emphasising the importance of the pair’s “leadership” in the forthcoming negotiations for the Presidency of the European Commission. He asserted that the Greens are “stable, solid” and ready to provide a majority that is capable of supporting a potential candidate.
Terry Reintke noted the increased diverse nature of the group, which now has MEPs from more Member States than they did in the last legislature, including several MEPs from Eastern Europe (see EUROPE 13430/18). She stated, as was the case with the elections, that these results demonstrated a unified direction for the group – now the sixth largest force in the European Parliament – and the group’s desire to be part of a majority. She also noted that their rapid election demonstrated their preparedness and commitment to the challenges that lie ahead.
Two days after the European Summit on 17 June (see EUROPE 13432/2) when speaking about appointments to senior European positions, she added that she did not believe that all political groups were on the same wavelength and she would have expected a clearer mandate from the EU Council. She also mentioned that the European People’s Party did not seem ready for a quick transition.
With regard to the Presidency of the European Commission and the European Parliament’s legislative priorities, Bas Eickhout insisted on defending the ‘European Green Deal’. He reaffirmed his commitment to working with other progressive groups in order to secure a stable majority and to support a socially just transition. Terry Reintke spoke about recent revelations concerning Fratelli d’Italia and young activists from the party of Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, a member of ECR, who openly displayed their fascist convictions.
Reintke insisted on the need to draw a line in the sand and not allow such movements to influence the direction of the European Commission’s work, while also going on to describe the party as being extremely right-wing. She warned against the mistakes that had been made in respect of Viktor Orbán, leader of the conservative national party Fidesz, and a former member of the EPP.
On the subject of negotiations with Volt, a pan-European party that has proposed the idea of joining the Renew Europe group, and from which five members have been elected, Bas Eickhout welcomed the fruitful collaboration that had been enjoyed during the last legislature, stating he was optimistic that this would continue. He noted that Volt shares many of the same objectives as the Greens, in particular the strengthening of European democracy and the fight against climate change.
Finally, on the subject of the Hungarian Presidency of the European Union, which begins in July, Bas Eickhout described Viktor Orbán’s slogan, ‘Make Europe Great Again’, as “typical” of the Hungarian leader. He also added that although it is difficult to disagree with the slogan itself, it is also evidence that he is a ‘Trumpist’ and will remain so. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)