France’s Hayer tightens grip on EU liberals presidency as opposition divided

2 months ago 8

Incumbent Renew Europe group President Valérie Hayer has a high chance of being reappointed on Tuesday (25 June), as the opposing ALDE party is failing to align its members behind their nominee.

The liberal Renew Europe group in the European Parliament, made up of several factions, is set to vote on their new president on Tuesday, following the EU elections on 9 June.

While the largest faction, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) party, has affirmed it would seek to challenge the current president, France’s Hayer, its members are failing to align behind their nominee, Portugal’s João Cotrim de Figuereido.

In a bid to capitalise on the French coalition Besoin d’Europe’s heavy losses in the European election (from 23 to 13 seats), ALDE member parties gathered over the weekend in Vilnius to come up with a name for their contestant.

The newly elected MEP João Cotrim de Figuereido, whose party joined the European Parliament for the first time, ultimately presented his candidacy, which the ALDE leadership endorsed on Sunday evening, according to an internal email seen by Euractiv.

The email asked member parties to vote in favour of Cotrim “so that together the ALDE Party can take a leading role in the next Renew parliamentary group” and take over from Hayer.

“Alternating key positions ensures trust and unity”, Dan Barna, Romanian liberal party USR delegation leader, told Euractiv, confirming his party supports Cotrim.

However, even though he is ALDE’s candidate, he has failed to find unanimous support from all of the member parties.

Euractiv was told by several sources that at least Germany’s FDP, Slovakia’s Progresívne Slovensko, and Dutch D66 would not support Cotrim, accounting for 14 out of 53 seats of the ALDE family, leaving him with 39 potential votes – while he needs 38 to be appointed.

However, more sections of ALDE are expected to vote for Hayer, just like in January, when she got appointed for the first time, two people involved in the matter said.

Hayer has 22 votes secured, counting on the French and a third faction of Renew, the European Democratic Party (EDP).

With applications closing at 22:00 on Monday, ALDE does not expect any further candidacies apart from Cotrim’s. Any interested “would have pitched their candidacy during the Council in Vilnius,” a well-informed source within ALDE told Euractiv.

At first, Belgium’s Sophie Wilmès showed interest in the job, the same source added, but it seems she now aspires to be part of the next Belgian government, currently being formed, as her party will be one of the key coalition partners.

Hayer’s appointment would be good news for French President Emmanuel Macron, of the same party as Hayer, as he would maintain a direct grip over the group’s overall direction at a time when his hegemony over the French government is being doubted, with legislative elections scheduled for 30 June and 7 July.

At the same time, a renewed Hayer presidency may mean trouble for other French heavyweights such as Nathalie Loiseau or Pascal Canfin, as their coalition’s poor results—from 23 to 13 seats—mean they will have fewer chances of scoring committee chairmanships.

[Edited by Aurélie Pugnet/Alice Taylor]