By Martin Banks - 4th March 2009
He is a serious candidate
Josep Borrell
ALDE leader Graham Watson has won further informal support from an unexpected quarter in his bid to become parliament's next president.
Spanish Socialist deputy Josep Borrell, himself a former president, says Watson would make an "excellent" figurehead for the assembly.
Borrrell told this website, "There is no doubt that Graham Watson is one of the most respected MEPs.
"He is a serious candidate and I am sure he would make an excellent president and do a very good job."
However, Borrell pointed out that Watson faces a stiff challenge from "the two big political groups", the EPP-ED and PES.
As part of what some have dubbed the traditional 'carve-up' between the two groups, their candidates would share the job for a five-year period after June's European elections.
German deputy Martin Schulz, who leads the PES group, is said to be the Socialist candidate while Jerzy Buzek, a former Polish PM, is expected to be proposed as the EPP-ED nominee.
Borrell's comments come after Polish EPP-ED deputy Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, chairman of parliament's foreign affairs committee, recently told this website that he favoured an "open" contest for parliament's top job.
Speaking on Tuesday, ALDE MEP Sarah Ludford said, "I hope there is not a carve-up between the two big groups but you have to say that Graham faces a stiff job."
Nothing has yet been decided on who will succeed German centre-right MEP Hans-Gert Pöttering as president. Both the EPP and PES groups are not expected to formally announce their candidates until after the 4-7 June election.
But EPP leader Joseph Daul recently said he expects the traditional arrangement, whereby the two groups share the prestige post, to continue.
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