Four candidates are standing to become Parliament President in tomorrow’s election, scheduled to start at 09.00.
The candidates are: Ska Keller (Greens/EFA, DE), Sira Rego (GUE/NGL, ES), David-Maria Sassoli (S&D, IT), Jan Zahradil (ECR, CZ).
Electing its President is the first act of the newly constituted Parliament. The outgoing President Antonio Tajani will preside over the proceedings, assisted by eight tellers selected by lot on Tuesday at the opening of the session.
Candidates for the presidency may be put forward either by a political group or by 1/20th of Members (“low threshold” introduced by the revised Rules of Procedure). The election is held by secret ballot (Rule 15). MEPs vote by indicating their preferred candidate on a paper ballot. To be elected, a candidate must win an absolute majority of the valid votes cast, i.e. 50% plus one (Rule 16). If no candidate is elected in the first ballot, the same or new candidates can be nominated in the second or third round. Find out more here.
MEPs will also elect 14 Vice-Presidents (again with paper ballots) on Wednesday and five Quaestors (electronic vote) on Thursday.
