Est. 1min 15-11-2001 (updated: 30-06-2011 ) Euractiv is part of the Trust Project >>> Languages: Français | DeutschPrint Email Facebook X LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Two new candidates have joined the first contested electoral campaign in the history of the European Parliament (EP), as Jens-Peter Bonde, a Danish eurosceptic, and Francis Wurtz, the French chairman of United Left, entered the competition for the Presidency of the EP. Jens-Peter Bondeis co-President of the Europe of Democracies and Diversities and chairman of the cross party group SOS Democracy. Bonde has been an MEP since the first direct elections in 1979. He is known as an EU-sceptic, who campaigned against the Maastricht treaty and Denmark joining the euro. Francis Wurtzis the chairman of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left, and is a member of the French communist party. He has been an MEP since 1999. Even though the candidates of the small groups have no chance of being elected, they may hold the key to the elections, as they could collect more than 140 votes together. The two large competing groups (the Liberals and the Socialists) will thus depend on the support of the smaller parties to get their candidate elected. Read more with Euractiv Germany ratifies Nice TreatyThree weeks after the adoption by the Bundestag, the German Bundesrat ratified the Nice treaty, on 9 November. Subscribe now to our newsletter EU Elections Decoded Email Address * Politics Newsletters Background The President of the European Parliament is elected in a ballot of all MEPs by an overall majority. If no candidate wins an absolute majority following three ballots, a fourth ballot is conducted with only the two candidates who obtained the largest number of votes in the third ballot. If the fourth ballot is a draw, the oldest candidate is declared President. The two leading candidates in the election are Pat Cox, the Chairman of the European liberals, and David Martin, the candidate of the European Socialists (see our Interview). Timeline Next week, the European Green Party will decide whether it will present its own candidate, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, and whom should it support if it doesn’t. The election for President of the European Parliament will be held on 15 January 2002 in Strasbourg.
