McGuinness elected vice president of EPP grouping
Mairead McGuinness, MEP for Ireland East, from Drumconrath, has been elected to the position of vice-president of the European People's Party Group, the largest political grouping in the European Parliament, to which Fine Gael is aligned.
McGuinness was elected by a large majority of her fellow EPP Group MEPs on the first count, during an internal Group election held in the European Parliament, Strasbourg, on Tuesday evening.
The Group of the European People's Party is the largest political force in the parliament with 270 Members and three Croatian observers. As Vice-Chairman, McGuinness will have a role in meeting political leaders from the EPP family, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), Taoiseach Enda Kenny (Fine Gael) and others in terms of coordinating long-term political and policy decisions of the EPP.
A Group Vice-Chairman will assist the Group Chairman, Joseph Daul MEP, in coordinating the political activities and policy decisions of the EPP Members across the European Parliament's Committees, covering all areas from trade to terrorism, environment to transport. In her new role, MEP McGuinness will have particular responsibility for budgetary policy, in addition to her membership of both the Parliament's Agriculture and Environment Committees. 'I am delighted to be elected to the position of Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group by my fellow MEPs from our member parties across Europe. They have placed their trust in me to steer the Group in relation to budgetary policy especially, but also to be a strong voice for Europe.
She continued: 'I see my role as an opportunity to promote inclusivity across Europe and to address the realities facing people in Ireland and across the EU. We need to focus on creating growth and jobs and continuing to restore stability,' McGuinness commented in Strasbourg today. McGuinness was one of three candidates in the election.