McGuinness regroups after divisive contest

THIS year will also be an interesting one on a personal level for Mairead McGuiness.

She was recently beaten in the race to win her political group’s nomination to be the new president of the European Parliament — by Italian MEP and former commissioner Antonio Tajani.

“I have no bruises from this campaign, I have gained hugely from it,” she says. But, she admits, she was at a disadvantage once Mr Tajani entered the race, which he did at the 11th hour.

“I think it is difficult for smaller member states to break through the ranks,” she says, looking back on a contest she says has proved very divisive.

“I had support across the house because groups had told me they would support me, so I’m really going to be watching very carefully the political atmosphere,” she says.

Her political group, the centre-right European People’s Party, had been promised the top job after agreeing in 2014 to let socialist Martin Schulz run the show.

Uncharted waters

But his party colleague, Italy’s Gianni Pitella, binned the deal when he threw his hat in the ring last month. Now, for the first time in Parlia- ment’s history, every political group has named their own candidate.

“I think we’re into very uncharted waters in terms of elections in this house in January, and none of us can know the outcome,” Ms McGuinness says.

She hopes to stay a vice-president of the Parliament when the election takes place later this month, and has pledged to push ahead with her work on the agriculture and environment committees.

“You can get caught up in this rat trap of people pushing for power and influence and forget what’s important. And I don’t forget what’s important.”