Renew Group Signals Support for Metsola's Reelection Bid Under Conditions

STRASBOURG — European Parliament President Roberta Metsola’s chances of securing a third term were given a boost after the liberal Renew group signaled it could support her reelection bid — if its conditions are met.

“We support a president candidate who would keep the far-right out of the bureau [the Parliament’s top decision-making body, composed of the president and her 14 deputies] and who is committed to make the centrist political groups’ coalition work,” Renew chief Valérie Hayer told POLITICO in Strasbourg.

Renew has not officially backed a candidate and will wait and see who throws their hat into the ring ahead of a midterm reshuffle in seven months, when all of the Parliament’s top jobs will come up for grabs.

While Hayer fell short of backing Metsola, her comments signal the liberals are taking a different stance than the Socialists, whose leader Iratxe García said they have a deal that gives her group the right to name Metsola’s successor. Manfred Weber, the head of Metsola’s European People’s Party, has publicly cast doubt on whether the EPP would comply with such a deal, while MEPs say Metsola is already campaigning behind the scenes.

Renew wants any presidential candidate to keep the EPP tied to the political center — despite the president representing political lawmakers of all stripes — after the center-right group repeatedly relied on the far right in both the parliamentary chamber and in the Conference of Presidents, a key decision-making body, according to two Renew officials, granted anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the discussions.

“We think Metsola has genuinely been a good president, with the exception of those comments about working with the far right,” said one of the officials, referring to comments she made in October about the need to “keep majorities working.”

“It’s the easiest thing for everyone if things just stay the same,” the official added, referring to the centrist coalition of EPP, S&D and Renew.

The Greens agree that the next president needs to tackle the unpredictability brought about by the right-wing majority in the Parliament, Greens co-chair Terry Reintke said Tuesday, reacting to Brussels Playbook.

“Having a president that pushes to have a pro-European stable majority in this house will of course be key in our decision on who to support,” Reintke said.