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In addition to Verhofstadt, parliamentary representatives also include Manfred Weber, leader of the center-right European People’s Party, and Irache García, leader of the center-left Socialist Party and Democratic Party. Verhofstadt will serve as the group’s central figure and coordinate activities related to the conference.
Parliament Speaker David Sassoli approved the choice after a formal request from the liberal Renew Europe group.
The move is widely seen as a disappointing prize for Verhofstadt, who was parliament’s first choice to lead the entire session. However, the proposal sparked a fight among EU institutions over whether Verhofstadt should be the sole leader, given his federalist views.
In the end, they agreed to an “executive committee” arrangement in which the various agencies shared authority. This means that Verhofstadt can only lead the division of parliamentary duties. The entire conference will be overseen by a three-person “co-presidency” consisting of the presidents of the European Commission and Parliament, and the rotating president of the Council of the European Union.
However, according to the joint declaration establishing the initiative, Belgian MEPs will play a key role in the Council, taking consensus decisions on the conference’s work as it progresses.
As it turned out, Mr. Sassoli’s decision to appoint Mr. Verhofstadt was less controversial than his decision to approve the list of directors for an almost all-male council.
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