Negotiations between political groups in the European Parliament have been intensifying this week ahead of the upcoming mid-term elections. The Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament has called on all pro-European forces to engage in a constructive and policy-oriented discussion.

This in mind, Renew Europe has set three public criteria that will affect their vote in the mid-term elections.

Legislative condition: The conclusion of a list of priority and institutional reforms for the two and a half years of the mandate. It is time for the mid-term to be about public policy, not about top jobs. In the European institutional game, the European Parliament must be able to present a clear roadmap on reforms, including transnational lists. Such an agreement on legislative priorities also promises to make the parliamentary agenda more transparent to citizens.

Parliamentary condition: Every pro-European candidate for the Presidency of the European Parliament is subject to a hearing within the Group. Renew Europe is committed to internal democracy in the Parliament. The President of the European Parliament has an important role and is the public face of the institution. The votes of Renew Europe members must be informed by a frank exchange with the different candidates. In this context, a hearing has already been scheduled with Roberta Metsola MEP (European People’s Party Group), who is at this stage the only declared candidate. Should other serious pro-European candidates declare themselves, Renew Europe will organise an identical hearing.

Political condition: Stability and balance in the positions of responsibility and excluding the Europhobic far right. The current European Parliament only has two and a half years left to make progress on priority issues. Therefore, a fully functional Parliament is needed, so that it can move ahead as quickly as possible on urgent legislative projects. As is the case now, the nationalists, who despise European values, have no place in this system.

Commenting on these conditions, Renew Europe President Stéphane Séjourné said:
"The election of the President of the European Parliament is an important parliamentary moment. Given the challenges Europe faces within and beyond our borders, Renew Europe will ensure that this mid-term democratic exercise contributes to the strengthening of the parliamentary coalition and the acceleration of reforms. I call on all other European forces to be equally transparent about what they expect from the upcoming midterms. We owe it to our voters."

#RenewEurope sets 3️⃣ conditions for mid-term renewal!

Negotiations between political groups are intensifying in the @Europarl_EN ahead of the mid-term elections. We call on all pro-European forces to engage in a constructive & policy-oriented discussion.https://t.co/Jpob2lO3W6 pic.twitter.com/BJc16wpwjE

— Renew Europe (@RenewEurope) December 6, 2021