Antonio Tajani succeeded Martin Schulz as president of the European Parliament on 17 January 2017, giving him a key role in EU politics.
Antonio Tajani was elected president of the European Parliament on 17 January, succeeding Martin Schulz. Tajani, an Italian member of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) group and vice-president of the Parliament, received 351 votes in the fourth and final round of voting, compared to 282 votes for Gianni Pittella, the Italian leader of the S&D group. His term in office will end in 2019, when the next elections for the European Parliament will be held.
MEPs elect the Parliament president as well as vice-presidents and quaestors. Check out our infographic to find out who was chosen for Parliament's key posts.
Following the election of the President, MEPs elected 14 Vice-Presidents in two ballots on Wednesday. To be elected, candidates needed to win an absolute majority of valid votes cast. The new Vice-Presidents come from six different political groups. Members also elected five Quaestors, by acclamation.
Antonio Tajani (EPP, IT) won Parliament’s presidential election with 351 votes in a final face-off with Gianni Pittella (S&D, IT), who secured 282 votes.
Antonio Tajani was elected as the new Parliament President on Tuesday 17 January after four rounds of voting. Following the announcement of the results, Tajani praised the democratic nature of the process and promised to represent all MEPs. Watch our video for some of the highlights of the election.