Social Democrats ready ‘counterattack’ against EPP

The Socialists & Democrats (S&D) are preparing a ‘counterattack’ against the European People’s Party, to ensure that they retain at least one of the EU’s top posts, EurActiv.com has learned.

According to well-informed sources, S&D chief Gianni Pittella is currently leading talks with centre-left heads of state and government to flesh out a coordinated “overall strategy” after Martin Schulz’s decision to step down earlier this month.

The same source noted that the Italian politician has already talked with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, French President François Hollande, Portuguese Premier Antonio Costa, and Greek leader Alexis Tsipras.

The objective, the source explained, is to “avoid an EPP monopoly because that will leave Socialists & Democrats, who have the majority on a governmental level, unrepresented”.

In addition, this week, the heads of S&D delegations in the European Parliament asked Pitella to run for the presidency. EurActiv was informed that he views the request in a positive light.

“He is the fighter that we need,” a highranking S&D source told EurActiv, adding that EU Socialists are ready to defend themselves and launch a ‘counterattack’.

Pittella is holding a press conference on Wednesday (30 November), and he is expected to provide the S&D´s position on the future presidency of the Parliament.

Another source stressed that “everything is open”, as the replacement of EU Council President Donald Tusk by a Socialist is “still a scenario”.

Pedro López de Pablo, the EPP’s Head of Press and Communications, recently told EurActiv, “They [Socialists] have Ms. Mogherini, they wanted that post and they also got another vice-president of the European Commission. These things were all known and negotiated in the beginning of the term. I don’t know why now some Socialists say we don’t have any representation […] I am sorry but this is not true,” he emphasised.

It’s unclear, though, what stance the EPP is intending to uphold.