had announced that he would not seek a new mandate as a European Parliament vice president in favour of a mandate as quaestor. Five other candidates had declared their candidacy: Fabienne Keller, Andrey Kovatchev, Miriam Lexmann, Pál Szekeres and Kosma Złotowski. In the first round of voting, on 17 July 2024, Kovatchev received 559 votes, followed by Angel (461 votes), Lexmann (459 votes) and Keller (398 votes).
Angel succeeds , who is aiming for a commissioner’s post. In essence administrative, the role of quaestor mandate is nonetheless strategic, as it means that he can be informed in advance of any discussions concerning parliament’s workplaces, buildings or even staff recruitment. And of any initiative to move offices from Luxembourg or Strasbourg to Brussels--always a politically sensitive subject. Before Angel and Hansen, another Luxembourg politician held this post, from 2004 to 2014: Astrid Lulling (CSV). Elected to the European Parliament in 1989, she sat there without interruption until 2014. “She played a decisive role in ensuring that the Konrad Adenauer building was built in Luxembourg, thereby ensuring the continuity of the parliament’s presence in the country,” told Paperjam .
Parliament’s bureau constituted
With the election of the quaestors, the bureau of the European Parliament has been constituted for the first half of the legislature. On Tuesday, , followed by her 14 vice presidents, three from the EPP: Sabine Verheyen (DE), Ewa Kopacz (PL) and Esteban González Pons (ES); five from the Socialist S&D bloc: Katarina Barley (DE), Pina Picierno (IT), Victor Negrescu (RO), Christel Schaldemose (DK) and Javi López (ES); and two from the Liberal group Renew: Martin Hojsík (Renew, SK) and Sophie Wilmès (Renew, BE); two from the populist CRE group: Roberts Zīle (LV) and Antonella Sberna (IT); one Green: Nicolae Ştefănută (RO); and one member of the Left group: Younous Omarjee (FR).
Together, they form parliament's bureau, whose role is to establish the institution’s operating rules, draw up the preliminary draft budget and manage administrative, personnel and organisational matters. The vice presidents may, if necessary, replace the president to chair debates in plenary session and represent parliament at ceremonies or specific events.
The purse strings
The quaestors are also members of the bureau. They are brought together in the College of Quaestors, which is the European Parliament body responsible for administrative and financial matters of direct interest to members and their working conditions. One of its tasks is crucial for the political parties that sit on the committee: setting the amounts allocated to them.
“When electing the members of the bureau, the political groups shall ensure that the vice presidents and quaestors broadly reflect the numerical composition of the groups, taking into account the results of the election of the president", says the parliament’s rules of procedure. The portfolio of each vice president or quaestor includes specific responsibilities within the bureau, which will be assigned by the president in the coming days.
Next deadline: Ursula von der Leyen’s big speech
On Thursday, MEPs will have to decide on the next president of the European Commission. Ursula von der Leyen will appear before them. After her general policy statement, the vote will take place. The only unknown factor in this vote will be whether she will attract MEPs other than those in her majority--EPP, S&D and Renew--to her name. The negotiations within the European Council concerning the distribution of portfolios can then ‘officially’ begin. The first plenary session of the tenth legislature will conclude on Friday with the formation of the committees, the number and numerical strength of which will be known in the afternoon.
Read the French version of this report