By Martin Banks - 6th July 2009
I remain very optimistic about my prospects
Graham Watson
Graham Watson says there is "everything to play for" in the contest to become parliament's next president.
The former ALDE leader says it is "significant" that the assembly's two biggest groups, the EPP and Socialists, have not yet struck a deal on sharing the five-year presidency.
"Normally, they reach an agreement 6-12 months before the changeover in presidency so, yes, it is noticeable that they have not yet done so," said the UK MEP.
He was speaking in the wake of Italian centre-right MEP Mario Mauro's decision to withdraw from the race.
The move appeared to leave the way clear for the post to be shared between EPP candidate Jerzy Buzek and Socialist group leader Martin Schulz, who is yet to formally declare he is a candidate but who most assume will be the group's nominee.
However, Watson told this website that "negotiations" were going on behind the scenes that could yet mean that any assumed EPP-Socialist deal does not materialise.
"The fact of the matter is that Germany has the biggest delegation in both the biggest groups. The Germans are known to be keen on a Buzek-Schulz deal but it could be that they have not managed to convince other national delegations in their groups.
"That could explain why the EPP and Socialists have not yet announced any deal to share the presidency, something which could be seen as rather odd given that we are just days away from when the presidency is due to be announced.
"Normally, the deal is done months in advance but this time it is completely different and it is for that reason that I believe there is everything to play for."
Parliament is due to elect its new president during next week's Strasbourg plenary, the first since the recent European elections.
But Schulz has bemused some by not yet announcing whether or not he is standing for the post. He was with other group leaders in Stockholm on Monday for meetings with Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt and was unavailable for comment.
He was invited to take part in a debate between the candidates being held in parliament on Wednesday but declined citing "work pressures" as the reason.
Watson said he was "not entirely surprised" at Mauro's decision to withdraw, adding, "It is not yet clear whether a deal has been done to offer him a committee chair.
"Whatever the reason, I do not see it as a climb down by Mauro. He knows how politics works," he said.
"Some may say it has not done my prospects any good but I do not see it as a setback for my campaign which continues apace. I remain very optimistic about my prospects."
Meanwhile, the left-wing GUE group will announced its candidate for the presidency on Tuesday.
Its nominee will join Buzek and Watson in Wednesday's debate, organised by European Voice.
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