Brussels, 29/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Socialist Group of the European Parliament announces in a press release that it plans to present its own candidate to take over from President Nicole Fontaine, during the election scheduled for January 2002. The group chaired by Enrique Baron issued a call for candidates by September.
After the elections in June 1999, Nicole Fontaine, candidate of the EPP-ED group, had benefited from the votes of the Liberal Group, it being understood that the Liberal candidate (who would be president of the group, Pat Cox from Ireland) would receive the votes of the EPP-ED group during the election of the president chosen for the second half of the legislature. This sharing of the presidency in two has been practised since the first European elections, in June 1979 (when Socialist Piet Dankert had succeeded Simone Veil, candidate for the Liberal Group).