Following the Parliamentary elections in May, it is now time to analyze the new composition of the European Parliament and the impact it might have on legislative developments in the coming years. The Cicero Group provides us with an interesting analysis. .
With a total of 61 members, the European Parliament Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON) counts with ten more members than during the previous mandate. It is believed that a subgroup may be formed to specifically look at euro-area issues.
The EPP remains the largest group on the committee and managed to reelect influential MEPs such as Burkhard Balz, who is now ECON Co-ordinator, Markus Ferber, Werner Langen, Gunner Hokmark, Othmar Karas, Sirpa Pietikainen and Pablo Zalba Bidegain. However, the increased presence of the S&D, having secured the chairmanship of the committee with Roberto Gualtieri, should not be ignored.
Neither a centre-left nor a centre-right coalition will be able to form a majority within the committee. Both coalitions would be close to a majority if all members vote along group lines.
However, the ALDE group tends to split in ECON as well as on many significant votes in the previous Parliament, two or three of its members would go against group lines. While not all members vote in every vote, the committee is expected to be far less dominated by the centre-right than in the past.
It is therefore crucial for rapporteurs to find ad hoc coalitions on each individual topic in order to ensure progress in all dossiers.
Please find here Cicero's complete analysis.