Parliament picks Verhofstadt for new president role

Deal gives all political parties and EU institutions a role in conference on Europe’s future.

Liberal MEP Guy Verhofstadt will become president of the “Conference on the Future of Europe,” an exercise to consider how the EU should be reshaped, according to a deal between European Parliament leaders.

The former Belgian prime minister is to have German conservative Manfred Weber and an as-yet-unnamed socialist MEP as his deputies, several officials told POLITICO following a meeting of senior MEPs on Thursday.

While the Parliament has taken the lead in setting out how the conference should be arranged, the European Commission and the Council are yet to provide their views on the process or the personnel involved.

Diplomats have previously expressed disquiet about Verhofstadt’s suitability to lead the conference given his federalist views.

At a meeting of Parliament leaders — known as the Conference of Presidents — senior MEPs agreed to set up a five-strong Executive Coordination Board including a representative of the conservative European People’s Party, the Socialists & Democrats and the liberal Renew Europe, plus someone from the Council and Commission, according to three officials, one of whom was present at the meeting.

Though names were not mentioned during the meeting, officials said the liberals and the EPP had chosen Verhofstadt and Weber respectively in advance of formal nominations. Both MEPs have been seeking senior positions after failing in their bids to become European Commission president.

According to Thursday’s deal, the conference would be held under the “patronage” of Parliament President David Sassoli, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel, the person present at the meeting said.

The conference was proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron in March. He argued it should “propose all the necessary changes to our political project, without any taboos, not even treaty revision.” Some EU diplomats have expressed skepticism about how effective the exercise is likely to be, and are wary of any talk of changing the EU’s governing treaties.

Though Verhofstadt emerged as a frontrunner for the president post, Sassoli was also said to be interested in the role. Officials said his predecessor and fellow Italian Antonio Tajani also coveted the job, although Tajani’s office denied those ambitions.

The Parliament plans to consult citizens as part of the conference, through so-called “agoras” involving 200 to 300 people from across EU countries, according to a resolution adopted by MEPs on Wednesday.

The exercise will consider topics including changing the Spitzenkandidat or “lead candidate” system to select the next Commission president, setting up transnational lists of MEPs and reforming Council decision-making.

Verhofstadt on Thursday relinquished oversight on Brexit for the Parliament as MEPs picked David McAllister to lead on the next phase.

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