Schulz elected as EP president

RIGA- German politician Martin Schulz of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats was elected European Parliament (EP) president on Jan. 17, European People’s Party press and communication advisor Girts Salmgriezis told LETA.

Schulz, who was elected in the first round of the election, received 387 MEPs votes.

The EP president is expected to display no bias, as he has to represent the interests of the entire EP. Many of the duties of the EP president are of a representative nature.

The EP president supervises the work of the EP and its plenary sessions. The president also represents the EP, signs the EU budget and, together with the EU Council president signs EU regulations.

The other candidates for EP president were British MEPs Diana Wallis of the centrist Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), who won 141 votes, and Nirj Deva of the euro-skeptic conservative ECR group, who won 142 votes.

“Those who did not vote for me will be pleasantly surprised. I will be the president of all members and I will defend all your rights,” said the new president in a passionate speech right after the election.

The EP president is elected for a two-and-a-half-year term.

Latvian MEPs previously said that Schulz was a controversial candidate, though a gifted politician. Last year, Schulz made the sharp criticism of the inclusion of All for Latvia!-For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK in the third government of Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis (Unity).