Political groups continue new appointments

Political groups have continued the round of appointing their leaders ahead of the new parliament.

The Greens elected Daniel Cohn-Bendit, an MEP since 1994, and Rebecca Harms as its co-leaders.

Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans was elected leader of the European Free Alliance (EFA) group which includes members from her party, the Scottish National Party, Flanders, Catalonia, Corsica and Latvia.

The EFA Group was formed in 1999 and brings together MEPs from stateless nations and historic regions and minorities. They sit in a common parliamentary group with the Greens.

Evans said, "I'm honoured to have been chosen by colleagues to lead our parliamentary grouping at such an important time in European politics.

"All of our countries are facing significant economic, environmental and social challenges and the EU has a key role to play in helping us meet those challenges.

"We will continue working hard to ensure our nations are properly represented in Europe. We reject the notion of an over-centralised Europe dominated by the big member states.

"The EU must respect the rights of smaller nations to self-determination, and allow decisions to be made at the most local level appropriate."

Meanwhile, 96 per cent of Socialist MEPs voted for Stephen Hughes as new deputy leader of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, the new name for PES.

Hughes said, "It is a tremendous honour. I am looking forward to dealing with a challenging portfolio, which includes economic and social policy, the internal market, equality and culture.

"This portfolio presents major challenges, and with the help of my dedicated team I will turn these challenges into opportunities."

Elsewhere, the European United Left/Nordic Green Left group elected German MEP Lothar Bisky as its leader.

"The group will continue to fight for a social Europe and for the disarmament of the EU, not its militarisation," said Bisky.

After the vote, veteran MEP Francis Wurtz, the group's former leader who did not stand in the elections, said he was "leaving parliament and bringing with him memories of an exceptional political and human experience".

"Our group has succeeded, beyond the great diversity of its constituent members, to build its left-wing identity - a social, ecological and feminist group advocating solidarity, democracy and peace," he said.

"It is recognised both within the European institutions and outside among social movements and progressive forces, in Europe and in many regions throughout the world."

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