EP presidential candidate grilled

Simon Busuttil and David Casa, the two Maltese MEPs in the European People's Party, were last week present for the questioning of one of the candidates for the post of European Parliament president, Josep Borrell. Last Thursday Mr Borrell, who is...

Simon Busuttil and David Casa, the two Maltese MEPs in the European People's Party, were last week present for the questioning of one of the candidates for the post of European Parliament president, Josep Borrell.

Last Thursday Mr Borrell, who is standing for the election on behalf of the European Socialists, said there was a technical agreement between his party and the EPP whereby the latter would support a Socialist candidate for the presidency for the first two-and-a-half years of the new legislature.

The European Socialists would then support the candidature of EPP president Hans-Gert Poettering for the presidency in the second half of its term.

The first plenary session of the enlarged European Parliament takes place today, bringing 732 MEPs together for a historic four-day sitting in which the 10 new EU member states will be present.

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