20/06/2024 (Agence Europe) – Iratxe García Pérez of Spain is standing for reelection as chair of the S&D group; the results will be known on 25 June. This decision comes after the group’s former members and its newly elected members met on Tuesday and Wednesday, 18 and 19 June. Although the deadline to submit candidacy is not until 24 June, no other names were circulating at the end of the week. The Spaniard is thus expected to be reelected to this position. Her party—which finished in SPain behind the Partido Popular (a right-wing party) in the European elections on 9 June—maintained good results with 20 seats. However, the Italian delegation is the strongest in the S&D group, with 21 elected members. The French delegation, which scored well, is reportedly not interested in chairing the group. Vice-chairs will be appointed on 26 June. A number of outgoing vice-chairs will no longer sit in the European Parliament, such as Portugal’s Pedro Marques, who did not seek reelection. It is thus expected that there will be more new blood in these positions. (SP)