2019 is a year of significant political change in Europe. It has now, just this weekend, witnessed the election of a new European Parliament. Starting today, Monday 27 May, nearly all newly elected lawmakers will organise into pan-European groups — there are currently eight — along broad ideological lines. 25 Members are needed to form a political group, and at least one-quarter of the Member States must be represented within the group. Members have until 24 June to decide on group composition. Tomorrow, Tuesday 28 May, EU heads of state or government will meet for an informal summit in Brussels. They will discuss the outcome of the vote and start the nomination process for the heads of the EU institutions. On the 20 – 21 June, EU leaders will then meet again in Brussels to make the relevant decisions on key appointments for the next institutional cycle and to adopt the EU’s strategic agenda for 2019 – 2024. The strategic agenda will be used to plan the work of the European Council and will provide the basis for the work programmes of the other EU institutions. The European Council at this meeting will also select a nominee for the position of President of the Commission, President of the European Council and the European Central Bank President. On 2 July, the European Parliament’s 9th term will begin in Strasbourg. MEPs will elect the President, the 14 Vice-Presidents and the five Quaestors of the House and decide on the number and composition of Parliament’s standing committees. Two weeks later, on the week of 15 July, MEPs will have their first opportunity to elect the nominated European Commission President. Once the Council nominates a candidate for the President of the Commission (with a qualified majority), he or she will need to be approved by a simple majority of the European Parliament’s component members – that is, at least 376 of 751 MEPs. If the candidate does not obtain the required majority, the newly elected President of the European Parliament will invite the European Council to propose a new candidate, who would have to follow the same procedure. After endorsement of the Commission President, the European Parliament will host public hearings with Commissioner nominees and vote on the College of Commissioners as a whole (expected in October). The next step will be the appointment of new President of the European Central Bank, when Draghi’s term expires on 31 October, and a new President of the European Council to replace Tusk and be in place on 1 December. For the first time ever, it is expected that the Presidency of the ECB will form part of the political negotiations for top jobs. Germany is keen to see Jens Weidmann selected as ECB President. There is much speculation that if this can be agreed, the candidature of Manfred Weber, the lead candidate of the EPP and also a German, will fall by the wayside in favour of a candidate with broader support amongst the other political groups. Frenchman Michel Barnier, who is close to Macron and perceived to have done a good job leading the EU’s Brexit negotiations, might step forward as a compromise candidate.
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