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German Socialist Schulz elected to lead MEPs again | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The new European Parliament has begun its first session and elected German Socialist Martin Schulz to a new term as parliament president. | |
He got 409 votes in the 751-seat chamber, after his Socialist S&D bloc backed the conservative Jean-Claude Juncker to be Commission president. | |
Mr Juncker's EPP bloc, the biggest in parliament, voted for Mr Schulz in a deal giving him a 2.5-year term. | |
British Eurosceptic MEPs turned their backs when the EU's anthem was played. | British Eurosceptic MEPs turned their backs when the EU's anthem was played. |
A chamber orchestra opened the session in Strasbourg by playing Beethoven's Ode to Joy. | A chamber orchestra opened the session in Strasbourg by playing Beethoven's Ode to Joy. |
Most MEPs stood up for it, but British Conservatives - in the ECR group - sat quietly while UKIP members turned their backs, the Eurosceptic MEP Daniel Hannan tweeted. | |
The Lisbon Treaty, signed nearly five years ago, gave the parliament an equal say with EU governments in most areas of EU business. | The Lisbon Treaty, signed nearly five years ago, gave the parliament an equal say with EU governments in most areas of EU business. |
In a speech to MEPs on Tuesday, Mr Schulz said "there is now no hierarchy in the EU... today we are the source of democratic legitimacy in the EU". | In a speech to MEPs on Tuesday, Mr Schulz said "there is now no hierarchy in the EU... today we are the source of democratic legitimacy in the EU". |
New procedure | New procedure |
Mr Schulz was the centre-left Socialists' rival to Mr Juncker for the European Commission presidency. | Mr Schulz was the centre-left Socialists' rival to Mr Juncker for the European Commission presidency. |
But after the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) won the election the Socialists backed Mr Juncker for the job. | But after the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) won the election the Socialists backed Mr Juncker for the job. |
Last week's controversial EU summit vote in favour of Mr Juncker was seen as a victory for the European Parliament's "Spitzenkandidat" (lead candidate) initiative. | |
The parliament - with Mr Schulz in the vanguard - argued that the top candidate of the winning group in the European election must lead the Commission, for EU institutions to have credibility among voters. | |
UK Prime Minister David Cameron objected to the parliament having such a big say in the choice of Commission chief - a procedure which departed from EU precedent. But only Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban voted with him. | |
Before Mr Schulz's election on Tuesday the party groups' rival candidates put their cases to fellow MEPs. | |
The ECR's Sajjad Karim condemned what he called a "cosy consensus brokered behind closed doors". He said the MEPs' vote was already a done deal, and the job of parliament president had been "reduced to nothing more than a bargaining chip". | The ECR's Sajjad Karim condemned what he called a "cosy consensus brokered behind closed doors". He said the MEPs' vote was already a done deal, and the job of parliament president had been "reduced to nothing more than a bargaining chip". |
Ulrike Lunacek of the Greens also condemned "a pre-cooked deal which we just rubber stamp". | Ulrike Lunacek of the Greens also condemned "a pre-cooked deal which we just rubber stamp". |
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