PRESS RELEASE - Brussels, 24 June 2014
European Parliament presidency: Greens/EFA group nominates Ulrike Lunacek as candidate for EP Presidency
The Greens/EFA group today unanimously nominated Austrian Green MEP Ulrike Lunacek as candidate for the presidency of the European Parliament.
Speaking after the vote, Ulrike Lunacek said, My decision to run as a candidate for the post of European Parliament president has been prompted by the shadowy back room dealings by national governments on the top posts in the EU institutions. MEPs should not tolerate any interference in the European Parliament’s democratic process. We owe this also to our voters".
"My candidacy is also an opposition to the 'grand coalition' and its likely impact in terms of stifling debate and, in particular, restricting the possibilities for smaller parties' positions to be taken account of in decision making. This is something with which I am all too familiar, given the current situation in Austria.”
The first vote on the position of President of the European Parliament will take place during the constitutive plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday 1 July at 10.00am.
Press Service of the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament
Helmut Weixler
Head of Press Office
phone: 0032-2-284.4683
mobile phone: 0032-475-67 13 40
e-mail: Helmut.Weixler@europarl.europa.eu
website: www.greens-efa.org