The Greens have entered the race for European Parliament president, nominating Swedish MEP Alice Bah Kuhnke as their candidate for the upcoming election set to be held on Tuesday.

The election is being held just days after the death of David Sassoli on Tuesday, who had served as president of the European Parliament during the first of half of the current five-year term.

The Greens’ candidate joins Roberta Metsola, who hails from the European People’s Party, as well as Kosma Zloto-wski from the European Conservatives and Reformists group.

Metsola, a Nationalist Party MEP, remains a frontrunner and is still a favourite to win the election, despite the candidacy of Kuhnke being aimed at getting votes from those MEPs from other parties who oppose her anti-abortion stance.

Despite the addition of the Green candidate, sources in Brussels said Metsola still stands a “very comfortable chance” of being elected.

European Parliament is set to honour Sassoli on Monday

The sources said a socialist candidate would be the most challenging development for Metsola and, although the group has yet to put someone forward, this could happen “at the last minute”.

“In Brussels, things continue to happen until the very last moments. That is the way things are done here and this is no different,” one source said.

Since Tuesday, Metsola has been tasked with temporarily assuming the responsibilities of the president of the European Parliament as it mourns the death of Sassoli.

The MEP will preside over the plenary on Monday, when the parliament is set to honour Sassoli, but another vice-president will likely take that seat on Tuesday when Metsola will be one of the presidential candidates.

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