Martin Schulz re-elected as European Parliament president

New European Parliament kicks off its first session and elects German Socialist Martin Schulz to a new term as parliament president and eurosceptic MEPs turn their backs when EU anthem is played

1 July 2014, 1:20pm

1 min read

German Social-Democrat Martin Schulz was today elected to head the European Parliament in the first session since elections in May.

Schulz, outgoing president of the last European Parliament, won 409 votes for and 314 against or blank ballots, in a session that was marred by eurosceptic opposition.

British Eurosceptic MEPs turned their backs when the EU's anthem was played.

A chamber orchestra opened the session in Strasbourg by playing Beethoven's Ode to Joy.

#Farage and his fellow #UKIP MEPs turn their back on the European Anthem today in Strasbourg. pic.twitter.com/psVSGSwJFk
— Gwen Wackwitz (@gwenwackwitz) July 1, 2014

Most MEPs stood up for it, but British Conservatives - in the ECR group - sat quietly while UKIP members turned their backs, the Eurosceptic MEP Daniel Hannan tweeted.

The Lisbon Treaty, signed nearly five years ago, gave the parliament an equal say with EU governments in most areas of EU business.

In a speech to MEPs on Tuesday, Schulz said "there is now no hierarchy in the EU... today we are the source of democratic legitimacy in the EU".

Schulz was the centre-left Socialists' rival to Jean-Claude Juncker for the European Commission presidency.

But after the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) won the election the Socialists backed Juncker for the top job.

Last week's controversial EU summit vote in favour of Juncker was seen as a victory for the European Parliament's "Spitzenkandidat" (lead candidate) initiative.

The parliament - with Schulz in the vanguard - argued that the top candidate of the winning group in the European election must lead the Commission, for EU institutions to have credibility among voters.