“Our support for the next President of the European Commission does not come as a blank cheque. We expect them to deliver on crucial priorities for EU citizens,” the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament declared.

This week the S&D formally approved its key demands for the 2024-2029 institutional cycle, which were published following an exchange of views in Brussels between the candidate for the post of Commission President – the incumbent Ursula von der Leyen (Germany, EPP) – and the Group.

Following that meeting, the S&D’s Spanish President, Iratxe García Pérez, took to X and wrote:

In its key demands, the S&D Group stated: “The concerns of people are clear – cost of living, affordable housing, quality jobs and quality public health services, the disruptive risks from climate change, the rights of women and of minorities, and not least, security and defence are among those concerns that rank highest.

“They also know that Europe cannot slow down its efforts to fight climate change, but that these efforts must go hand in hand with a just transition that leaves nobody behind. They also know that the EU’s unwavering economic, humanitarian and military support for Ukraine, with the participation of all its member states, is vital for the security and the future of the European continent.

“The S&D Group stands ready to address these concerns through the next Commission Work Programme and through its own political work.”

Electing the President of the European Commission

If elected by MEPs on Thursday 18 July, during the new European Parliament’s constitutive plenary session in Strasbourg, current Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen is set to lead the EU’s executive body for the next five years. She has been nominated by the EU Member States in Council for a second term, after being the EPP lead candidate in the European elections.

At 9am this Thursday, she will take the floor in Parliament’s plenary session and outline her vision and plans as Commission President, followed by a debate with MEPs till 11am. The vote, by secret ballot, is set to take place between 1pm and 3pm. 

Article 14 of the Treaty of the European Union provides that the European Parliament “shall elect the President of the Commission”. In practice, based on Parliament’s Rules of Procedure (rule 128), the candidate proposed by the European Council has to present their political guidelines to Parliament, followed by a debate. Parliament then elects the President of the Commission by a majority of its component MEPs – i.e. 361, in a Parliament of 720 Members. If the candidate does not obtain the required majority, the President will invite the European Council to put forward another candidate within one month.

Electing the President of the European Parliament

MEPs will vote for their new President in Strasbourg on Tuesday 16 July starting at 10am.

The deadline for nomination of candidates for the European Parliament presidency is on Monday at 7pm.  Candidates for the presidency may be proposed either by a political group or by at least 36 out of 720 MEPs.  The only known candidate so far is the current President, Malta’s Roberta Metsola, proposed by the EPP group, that re-confirmed its position as the strongest political group in the Parliament as a result of the June elections.

The election of the European Parliament’s President for the next two-and-a-half years takes place by secret ballot and requires an absolute majority of valid votes cast, i.e. 50% plus one. Blank or spoiled votes are not taken into account. Eight tellers, selected by lot from among the MEPs, oversee the election process.

If no candidate secures the necessary majority in the first round, subsequent rounds follow under the same conditions. A fourth and final round may occur, where the two candidates with the highest number of votes from the third round compete, with the candidate receiving the most votes declared the winner.

Upon election, the newly-appointed President assumes the chair and may deliver an address to the Parliament.

The President of the European Parliament wields extensive executive and representative powers, with an increasingly visible function in the EU institutional and international setting, mirroring Parliament’s influential role as shaper of EU policies and as co-legislator.

Electing Vice-Presidents and Quaestors: Parliament’s Bureau

After the election of the President, Parliament will also elect its 14 Vice-Presidents and five Quaestors, who comprise Parliament’s Bureau together with the EP President, on Tuesday 16 July and Wednesday 17 July.

Vice-Presidents can substitute for the President and undertake chairing and ceremonial duties as needed, while Quaestors handle administrative matters affecting MEPs.

As for the President, nominations are put forward either by a political group or by a group of MEPs reaching the low threshold (1/20th of MEPs).

Vice-Presidents are elected in a single ballot, by an absolute majority of votes cast. Members must vote for as many candidates as there are posts to be filled, or at least for half the number of posts plus one. In practical terms, this means that in the first round, MEPs can vote for 14 candidates maximum and for least eight candidates minimum, and so in in subsequent rounds.

The election of Quaestors mirrors that of the Vice-Presidents in its procedure.

The S&D is fielding the following candidates:

Vice-presidents: Katarina Barley (Germany), Victor Negrescu (Romania), Javi López (Spain), Christel Schaldemose (Denmark), and Pina Picierno (Italy)

Quaestor: Marc Angel (Luxembourg)

EP Committees and Delegations: MEP names on Friday 

MEPs will confirm the number and size of Parliament’s standing committees, sub-committees and delegations on Wednesday. The names of the MEPs in each committee will be announced on Friday 19 July. The membership of committees is decided within the political groups.

Speaking on One Radio last Sunday, the Head of the Maltese delegation in the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Alex Agius Saliba, voiced his optimism that the three MEPs elected on the Maltese Labour Party’s ticket (himself, Daniel Attard, and Thomas Bajada) will secure positions on those standing committees aligning with the Maltese people’s top concerns: the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE).

After the constitutive plenary session next week, the committees will then hold their first meetings to elect their respective Chairs and Vice-Chairs (Bureau) on 23 July in Brussels.

The composition of Parliament’s committees and delegations ideally reflects the overall composition of the Parliament. Once formed, the Committees meet regularly in public sessions to handle legislative proposals, amendments, and hearings with external experts, playing a vital role in Parliament’s legislative processes. They also hold hearings with the candidates for EU Commissioners, expected to take place after summer.