Pablo Iglesias, elected candidate for the presidency of the European Parliament against the coalition of Socialists and Conservatives.

·   The GUE/NGL  Group has elected Pablo Iglesias as its candidate for the presidency of the European Parliament.

·   Pablo Iglesias will appear before the press tomorrow morning, June 26 at 11:30 am, to explain and evaluate this decision.

The GUE/NGL has named Pablo Iglesias, a newly elected MEP from PODEMOS, as a candidate for the presidency of the European Parliament. The decision was received with cheers and applauses by the Group members, who have expressed a clear endorsement of the struggles in the South of Europe against austerity and the dictates of the Troika.

Iglesias will confront Martin Schulz, who has the support of a coalition of the European socialists and the conservatives. Both groups have agreed to share the presidency, alternating after two and a half years.

The election of Iglesias also recognizes the eruption of PODEMOS in the Spanish and European political scene. PODEMOS joined the group just two weeks ago.

Almost 25 years younger than Schulz, Iglesias will try to gather support among the other parliamentary groups and the independents, in the name of an alternative European project radically opposed to the economic policies that keep harming and impoverishing the peoples of the European south.

At 11.30 am tomorrow, Iglesias will explain and evaluate the decision in the European Parliament press room.

Emily Macintosh +32 470 85 05 08

Gianfranco Battistini +32 475 64 66 28

European United Left / Nordic Green Left

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