You are currently viewing #Factoftheday: Sylvie Goulard, the potential third woman as president of the European Parliament

#Factoftheday: Sylvie Goulard, the potential third woman as president of the European Parliament

On 24 November 2016, Mr Schulz, social democrat and current president of the European Parliament (EP), announced his resignation in order to present himself for the German presidential elections against Mr Merkel. Although the date of his departure from the European scene is unknown, that is certain is the next elections to succeed him will take place in January 2017.

Following this announcement and without wait the investiture of his party, S. Goulard, member of the EP of the centrist group of ALDE (Alliance of European Liberals and Democrats), announced her candidacy for this post. One of the main reasons that motivate it is the concretization of gender equality that the EP says to legislate. However, as pointed out by several European medias, in 37 years, only two women, S. Veil and N. Fontaine, chaired the EP against 14 men. Consequently, S. Goulard, defender of women’s rights, wants to break this « ceiling of glass that still crushes women« , she notes. All the more so presidents of the European Commission, the Central Bank, the EU Court of Justice, the European Investment Bank, all are men. Only the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security is a woman.

Obviously, this is one reason among many for which the French member of EP present herself to chair this institution. Indeed, the EU is at a crossroads, in a context where Euroscepticism has never been so high. That is why, for the candidate, three main challenges can be identified for the EP in 2017. It is about « regaining the confidence of citizens, fighting against nationalism, successfully starting negotiations with the UK without Let them mobilize all energies, « says S. Goulard.

Moreover, the latter denounced in particular the opacity of the choice for the successor of the President of the EP. Indeed, the EP is based on a coalition. Thereby, this choice is based on discussions between main parties of the institution. However, today, the EU mostly needs more transparency and democracy.

Finally, one should not justify the candidacy of S. Goulard on the fact that the member of EP is a woman. Indeed, she calls for making this choice according to the skills and merit of candidates. In this plan, she has professional experience worthy of an EP “the speaker of the House”. The centrist group of the ALDE will have to make their choice on their candidate between it and Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the party in the course of the week

 

Kristell Prigent

 

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Adeline Silva Pereira

Après avoir effectué la deuxième année du master Sécurité Globale analyste politique trilingue à l'Université de Bordeaux, j'effectue un stage au sein d'EU Logos afin de pouvoir mettre en pratique mes compétences d'analyste concernant l'actualité européenne sur la défense, la sécurité et plus largement la coopération judiciaire et policière.

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