Michele Nicoletti from Italy elected new PACE President

President

Michele Nicoletti (Italy, SOC) was today elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

Taking over from Stella Kyriakides (Cyprus, EPP/CD), he is the 31st President of the Assembly since 1949 and the second Italian to hold this office.

There was only one candidate. Under the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure, the President serves for a one-year term of office, which may be renewed once.

In his inaugural address, the newly-elected President called for increased unity of the Council of Europe “as the only European institution that brings together 47 countries around the values of human rights, democracy, the rule of law and acceptance of its European Court”.

“At a time of great and dramatic challenges – from terrorism to migration, from poverty old and new to mistrust in representative institutions, from the re-emergence of racism and xenophobia to the desperate solitude of so many people – we must offer a response to nationalist and chauvinistic temptations to close ranks, to centrifugal pressures and to conflicts by reasserting the need for peace and justice on our continent,” he said.

” As a pan-European political forum and a statutory body of our Organisation, the Assembly should fully play its role in addressing these challenges. This requires the active involvement of all members and delegations from all 47 member States. In this context, I regret that the Russian Parliament has not put forward a delegation for the 2018 Ordinary Session. Nevertheless, dialogue with Russian parliamentarians – as well as with all other delegations – continues, with due respect to our rules and obligations.”

“This reflection on our identity, which the Assembly will decide how to develop, appears to me to represent an extraordinary opportunity for our institution to reassert forcefully its own role as the guardian of European unity. I strongly believe that all member States of the Council of Europe must participate in this process,” the newly-elected PACE President underlined.

“In performing this task, we must not cease to openly denounce any violation of human rights committed in any part of our continent and by any authority. There cannot and must not be any free zones. However, this defence of human rights will be even stronger if we are able to combine it with an ever increasing unity between our peoples. We must tirelessly seek to emphasise what unites us,” he said. </s> Former Italian journalist Sassoli elected new head of EP

David-Maria Sassoli has been selected as the new president of the European Parliament.

David-Maria Sassoli was elected the EU Parliament's new president on Wednesday, the EP's Twitter account announced.

Sassoli was the candidate of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) for the position and was elected by the votes of the members of the European Parliament. Before today he was the parliament's vice-president.

Sassoli, a former journalist, was born in Florence in 1956 and in 2009 waselected an MEP from Italy's leftist Democratic Party.

After not getting an absolute majority of votes in the first round, Sassoli was elected in the second round with 345 votes. The EP's previous president Antonio Tajani is also Italian. The president serves for two-and-a-half years.

He is responsible for managing work of the parliament, approving the EU's budget, and signing the laws of the EU along with the president of the EU Council. </s> An Italian lawmaker and ally of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was elected president of the European Parliament late Tuesday in Strasbourg.

Antonio Tajani, 63 years old, is a member of the center-right European People’s Party, which is the largest faction in the parliament and whose members run all the major European Union institutions. He defeated Gianni Pitella, also an Italian lawmaker, who heads the second-largest... </s> Strasbourg, France: Italian centre-right politician Antonio Tajani was elected the new president of the European Parliament on Tuesday after a final round of voting, officials said.

Tajani, an ally of former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi, got 351 votes while his socialist rival Gianni Pittella got 282, outgoing leader Martin Schulz said.

"I congratulate you warmly. I wish you good luck as you carry out your mandate," Schulz said as he shook hands with Tajani.

European Council leader Donald Tusk hailed the importance of a position at the head of the EU´s only elected body at a time of crises in the bloc.

"I congratulate Antonio Tajani as next EP (European Parliament) president and look forward to cooperating. A united, strong EU needs a constructive, effective EP," Tusk said.

Italy´s Tajani elected European Parliament president was posted in World of TheNews International - https://www.thenews.com.pk on January 18, 2017 and was last updated on January 18, 2017. This news story is related to Latest/179832-Italys-Tajani-elected-European-Parliament-president/ - breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. Permanent link to the news story "Italy´s Tajani elected European Parliament president" is https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/179832-Italys-Tajani-elected-European-Parliament-president. </s> Italian Sassoli for the EP, French Lagarde candidate for the ECB, German Ursula von der Leyen candidate for the EC

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel was named the new president of the European Council

David-Maria Sassoli, an Italian politician from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats has been elected the European Parliament President.

The European Parliament had to hold a second round of voting for the president, because none of the four candidates secured a majority in the first round.

Christine Lagarde of the International Monetary Fund was submitted as a candidate for president of the European Central Bank (ECB).

Her nomination will need the support of the European Parliament and the ECB’s Governing Council.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel was named the new president of the European Council.

The European Council chose the German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen as a candidate for president of the European Commission but she needs the majority of the European Parliament at the July 16th voting to head the EC. </s> David-Maria Sassoli, an Italian politician from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats has been elected the European Parliament President.

​In the first round of voting, Sassoli received 325 votes. Jan Zahradil, a Czech politician from the European Conservatives and Reformists, received 162 votes. Ska Keller, a German politician of the Greens, secured 133 votes. Spaniard Sira Rego of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left garnered 42 votes.

Sassoli secured 345 votes in the second ballot. The absolute majority required is 334 votes.

A day earlier, EU leaders announced their picks to head key EU institutions after days of wrangling.

The European Council chose German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen as a candidate for president of the European Commission. She will need the backing of a majority at the European Parliament to head the commission.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel was named the new president of the European Council.

Christine Lagarde of the International Monetary Fund was submitted as a candidate for president of the European Central Bank (ECB). Her nomination needs support from the European Parliament and the ECB's Governing Council.

Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borell is considered as a candidate for High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. He will be confirmed by the Commission's president-elect.​ </s> The new European Parliament has convened to elect a new president to replace incumbent Antonio Tajani after a pan-European vote in May.

The list of the candidates includes Ska Keller (the European Free Alliance, Germany), Sira Rego (the European United Left/Nordic Green Left, Spain), David-Maria Sassoli (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Italy), and Jan Zahradil (Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe, the Czech Republic).

Follow Sputnik's Live Feed to Find Out More! </s> BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd July, 2019) Four politicians are running for the position of the European Parliament's president in the upcoming Wednesday election, the legislative body said in a statement.

"Four candidates are standing to become Parliament President in tomorrow's election, scheduled to start at 09.00 [07:00 GMT]," the European Parliament said on Tuesday.

The list of the candidates includes Ska Keller (the European Free Alliance, Germany), Sira Rego (the European United Left/Nordic Green Left, Spain), David-Maria Sassoli (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Italy) and Jan Zahradil (Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe, the Czech Republic).

"Electing its President is the first act of the newly constituted Parliament. The outgoing President Antonio Tajani will preside over the proceedings, assisted by eight tellers selected by lot on Tuesday at the opening of the session," the statement stressed.

The reshuffles in key EU bodies take place following the European Parliament elections, which were held on May 23-26. </s> Italian conservative Antonio Tajani has been elected the new president of the European Parliament.

Mr Tajani, 63, is a former spokesman for Italy's Silvio Berlusconi and an ex-European commissioner.

He defeated another Italian, Gianni Pitella, and will take over from Germany's Martin Schulz.

The European Parliament has the power to block or amend EU laws, and will have the final say on whether to approve a Brexit deal with the UK.

The contest ran to the maximum four rounds.

Mr Tajani's European People's Party group benefited from a coalition with the parliament's liberals, who hope to curb the influence of anti-EU populists.

The election of Mr Tajani puts the centre-right in charge of the three main EU institutions - the European Commission, Council and Parliament.
Italian politician Michele Nicoletti becomes the new President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.