Tajani at the helm of the European Parliament, his long curriculum in the EU. The first thoughts to earthquake victims

In Gijòn, Spain, there is a street that bears his name, Calle Antonio Tajani, in recognition of Mr. Tajani’s commitment as European Commissioner for Industry with the re-opening of a plant of a US multinational company. After 23 years of political commitment on the European scenario, 63-year-old Antonio Tajani – member of the European People’s Party, previously deputy Vice-President of the EU Parliament – now takes office as President of the EU Parliament, collecting the baton of German Social-Democrat Martin Schulz. He was elected last evening (January 17, 2017) in Strasbourg, at the fourth round of voting, defeating his compatriot Gianni Pittella, chairman of the Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. The embrace between the two politicians was welcomed with a warm applause by his colleagues. “I will be the President of all MEPs, and of all political groups”, Tajani said.

From journalism to Parliament chairs. Married with two children, professional journalist (he worked for RAI- national Italian broadcasting network – and for the daily Il Giornale) Tajani was born in Rome on August 4 1953. After his high-school studies he earned a degree in Law at La Sapienza University. Having relinquished his support for the Monarchic movement of his youth years,

He was one of the founders of Forza Italia and first spokesperson of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. In 1994 he was elected member of the European Parliament,

Re-confirmed in 1999 and in 2004. He served as European Commissioner in the years 2008 – 2014 in the colleges headed by Portuguese MEP Manuel Barroso, first receiving the transport portfolio and then appointed Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship. In 2014 he was re-confirmed MEP. He ran as mayor of Rome, defeated by Walter Veltroni in 2001 and was a member of the Commission for the drafting of the text of the European Constitution (that never entered into force). A leading member of Forza Italia, he is among the most renowned EPP politicians at European level.

Agreement between EPP and Liberal-Democrats. Tajani was appointed at the highest seat in Strasbourg thanks to an agreement between the EPP and the Alliance of Liberals & Democrats, obtaining also the support of the right-wing blocs of the EP in the final run-off.

The EPP representative defeated Gianni Pittella by 351 votes to 282.

The Eurosceptic coalition annulled the ballot papers (80 void ballots). For the first time since MEP’s election with universal suffrage, i.e. since 1979, an election is completed in the fourth round of voting. In the past, political agreements among the major Parties, notably between EPP and Socialists & Democrats, with the support of members of the Liberal party, had ensured a stable political and legislative majority in the European Parliament.

A battle distant from EU citizens. But the agreement was called off in the past months owing to different political views on a number of issues (rigour and economic growth, migration emergency, Brexit and the relations with the UK, terrorism and external relations, especially those with Russia and the U.S., the tackling of surging nationalisms, etc.) but especially because of the failure to reach an agreement on the distribution of seats and responsibilities in Parliament and in other institutions (Council, Commission). The game was played within institutional seats, without the participation of the public at large, failing to tarnish escalating Euroscepticism.

The result devoted to the victims of the Italian earthquake. Tajani is the first Italian President of the European Parliament elected with direct suffrage; since 1979 the EP was headed by four MEPs from Germany (including two mandates to Martin Schultz), three from France, 3 from Spain, one from Poland, one from Ireland, and one from The Netherlands. Instead, the EEC Parliamentary Assembly was chaired by 5 Italians (the first one being Alcide De Gasperi in 1954, followed by Giuseppe Pella, Gaetano Martino, Mario Scelba and, finally, by Emilio Colombo, in the years 1977-79). “”Allow me to thank all of you, those who voted for me and those who voted for my friend Gianni Pittella in this last round. It has been a democratic competition”, Tajani said in his victory speech at the European Parliament. The newly-elected President then went on to thank outgoing President Martin Schulz. His words were welcomed with a warm applause by the Assembly.

“I dedicate this victory to the victims of the earthquake that shattered my home Country and to all those who are suffering its consequences in these days with below-zero temperatures and snow.”

He then extended “our solidarity” to all those afflicted by situations of severe difficulty, “to the families of the victims of terror, to those without a home, to the homeless, to all those left without a job. Our commitment is for all those people in situations of need.”