Spanish MEP Iratxe García Pérez, an elected member of the European Parliament since 2004, was unanimously re-elected, on Tuesday 25 June, as President of the European Parliament’s S&D Group. She has held this position since July 2019.
This vote validates the “work done over the last 5 years”, she said, before setting off again on the campaign to build a “pro-European majority” in the European Parliament.
“During our campaign, we placed a great deal of emphasis on being clear about our priorities. We have very clear values and we will take all these values and ideas into account in the important work we have to do now”.
The President reiterated her red line: “We will work and dialogue with all pro-European political forces. Our only red line is the extreme right. There is no such thing as one extreme right and another extreme right. It is the far right that wants to destroy the European Union”. She has ruled out any cooperation with the ID and ECR groups.
As for the priorities for this future pro-European majority, the Spaniard cited equality, democracy, the Rule of law, and a strong agenda for a social, democratic and sustainable Europe. Europe, investment in people and the self-employed and “no pause on the Green Deal”. Support for Ukraine and peace in the Middle East has to continue.
The S&D group leader also made it clear that support for Ms von der Leyen in the event of a vote on her nomination to head the Commission, if the European Council appoints her, will be conditional on these priorities and will not be “a blank cheque”.
The Group will elect its nine vice-presidents on Wednesday 26 June. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)