German Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Martin Schulz, has been nominated as candidate to the presidency of the European Parliament for the second half of its term of office (January 2012-June 2014). The MEPs of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament (EP) formally, and unanimously, nominated Mr. Schulz, who also becomes the candidate of the Party of European Socialists (PES).

The President of the PES, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen gave a strong endorsement of the nomination.
He stated that; “the European Union faces a crisis not just of economics, but also a crisis of legitimacy. People demand leaders who understand their concerns and act accordingly. Martin Schulz would more than meet these demands. He would bring a new energy to the role of President of the European Parliament. His deeply held social democratic convictions would be reflected in a European Parliament that would set its compass to the needs of ordinary people and would stay in the course until those needs are met”.
Martin Schulz has been a Member of the Parliament since 1994 and President of the EP’s Socialist and later S&D Group since 2004.

Following his nomination, Martin Schulz promised that if elected he will collaborate closely with the leaders of the different political groups and heads of delegation to strengthen the role of the Parliament and its powers of scrutiny over the European Council.