Former European Commissioner
Antonio Tajani has presented his bid to the European People's
Party (EPP) to be its candidate to replace Martin Schulz as
president of the European Parliament, sources said Wednesday.
Social Democrat Schulz is stepping down in January to devote
himself to German politics.
The EPP will select its candidate next week.
Tajani, a 63-year-old member of Italian ex-premier Silvio
Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia (FI) party, is currently
one of the vice-presidents of the European Parliament.
He was industry and entrepreneurship commissioner from 2010
to 2014 and transport commissioner from 2008 to 2010.
Another Italian, Gianni Pittella, an MEP for Premier Matteo
Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party (PD), is the candidate for
the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D[)
group.
Pittella was re-elected head of the S&D caucus on Wednesday.
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