Belgium’s Guy Verhofstadt officially announced on Friday that he would run for the post of president of the European Parliament, in a brief video posted on social media. “I want to dedicate all my passion and all my skills to Europe and to its parliament,” said Verhofstadt, who heads Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) group in the Parliament.
“It is time for change, time for a broad coalition of pro-European forces that will put the interests of the European citizen first,” the former Belgian Prime Minister said on his Facebook page.
The presidential election is to be held at a plenary session of the European Parliament, which will take place from January 16 to 19 in Strasbourg.
The other candidates vying to take over from Martin Schulz at the helm of the assembly are Antonio Tajani of the European People’s Party (EPP), Gianni Pittella of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group, Helga Stevens of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group and Jean Lambert (Greens).
(Source: Belga)
