PES President Sergei Stanishev said: “Martin Schulz has been an excellent leader of our European family during the recent elections, and I am proud that he will again be Parliament President. His dedication and service to the people of Europe is unquestionable. This strong majority is a sign of the support he has across the house for the job he does on behalf of all his fellow MEPs”.
Schulz’s re-election reflects the excellent work he has done in the past 2 ½ years to raise the profile of the European Parliament and position it as a true voice of Europe’s people. The European Parliament is the only directly elected body among the European Union’s institutions, with 751 MEPs representing the citizens of the 28 Member States.
Achim Post, PES Secretary General, welcomed the vote this morning: “Martin Schulz has cemented the European Parliament as the voice of Europe’s citizens. His tireless efforts since 2012 have made the Parliament more visible, more transparent and more accountable to Europe’s citizens. He is the first Parliament President to serve a second term, and the only Parliament President in 35 years of direct elections to see turnout go up in the European elections.”
Martin Schulz will hold the office of European Parliament President for 2 ½ years. His term will come to an end in January 2017. Schulz used his first speech to promise that he will lead the Parliament’s fight for more and better jobs across Europe, tackle Europe’s energy security challenge, and campaign for an immigration strategy which stops the exploitation of Europe’s vulnerable neighbours and strengthens Europe’s position in the global community.
