The Irish Pat Cox, 49 years old, president of the Group of Liberals, Democrats and Reformers, was elected president of the European Pariament during the plenary assembly held in Strasbourg on 15 January. He succeeds the French Nicole Fontaine. The election of Cox, widely expected after the support given to him by the European People’s Party, came after the third ballot: Cox gained 298 votes, against the 237 of the British Socialist Martin and the 33 of the Danish “eurosceptic” Bonde. Lecturer in economics and journalist (from 1982 to 1986 newscaster for Irish television), Cox who was also a national MP in Ireland – has been an MEP since 1994. The plenary assembly of the EP also elected fourteen vice-presidents. Their order of precedence is as follows: Martin (PSE, UK), Dimitrakopoulos (PPE/DE, GR), Cederschiöld (PPE/DE, S), Imbeni (PSE, I), Vidal Quadras-Roca (PPE/DE, E), Podestà (PPE/DE, I), Friedrich (PPE/DE, D), Lalumiere (PSE, F), Colom i Naval (PSE, E), Pacheco Pereira (PPE/DE, P), Provan (PPE/DE, UK), Schmid (PSE, D), Onesta (Verdi/ALE, F), Puerta (GUE/NGL, E).
