Luxembourg socialist Marc Engel was elected on Wednesday to replace Eva Kelli as vice-president of the European Parliament following the arrest of the Greek lawmaker in an ongoing corruption investigation.
Engel’s election secured the seat for the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group in parliament, which has been rocked by allegations that foreign countries, including Qatar, may have illegally influenced some of the group’s lawmakers, including Cali. . The group now once again holds five of the 14 vice-presidential slots in parliament, giving it a key role in setting the assembly’s rules and making decisions on administrative, staffing and organizational matters.
Engel, who was first elected in 2019, won the job with the support of the centre-right European People’s Party, parliament’s largest group, and the liberal Renew group, the three most powerful posts in the body in 2019 after a political Deal honored. ,
With 307 votes, Angel finished well ahead of right-wing candidate Annalisa Tardino, who received 185 votes, and Greens candidate Gwendolyn Delbos-Corfield, who received 98 votes.
His election came just a month after Kelly was removed from office following his arrest. He is in custody in Brussels and has denied the allegations.
After the vote Angel wrote on Twitter: “Proud to be elected Vice President of the European Parliament. Thank you to everyone who has supported me! The work starts now.”
Some MEPs who did not support Angel argued that an opportunity had been missed to punish S&D after the Qatargate scandal had come to light.
“It could be a strong signal that we understand how serious this is all and we want to win back the trust. … Instead, we get business as usual,” Volt MEP Damien Boeselager told Politico before the vote.