Now that Martin Schulz is leaving the presidency of the European Parliament, the German-dominated legislative body could end up being somewhat more italianised.
Today the majority group EPP put forward its contender for the presidency, the Italian Antonio Tajani. Two weeks ago, the centre-left S&D group put forward its leader, Gianni Pittella, as a candidate for the post. The horse-trading among MEPs has now begun for the Schulz succession.
Assuming one of these two contenders takes the helm of the European Parliament for the next two and a half years, what does this mean for the parliament’s attitude to trade policy? Would the Parliament become more protectionist in its outlook, for example?
It does not look like it. Having looked up the voting track records of the two leading contenders in the website VoteWatch.eu, we find little that is outside the mainstream. If Tajani wins, the voices of the agricultural protectionist camp in the EU, could get greater hearing, however.
Antonio Tajani has supported the TTIP (July 2015 resolution), the TiSA, and the recent resolution on China’s market economy status. This week, Tajani supported Ecuador’s accession to the FTA with Peru and Colombia, as well as the lifting of trade restrictions on textiles from Uzbekistan.
The Italian conservative from Berlusconi’s Forza Italia is a champion for his country’s defensive agricultural interests. Tajani voted against a two-year extension of olive oil quotas from Tunisia earlier this year. Tajani also voted against the ratification of the EU SADC – Southern Africa – Economic Partnership Agreement, which many Southern European farmers dread due to greater competition in the area of agriculture, in particular fruit (especially citrus).
Pittella for his part is much more trade friendly in his voting patterns. The centre-left Italian endorsed the deals Tajani rejected. But Pittella voted against the EU Ghana interim Economic Partnership Agreement last November, alongside many centre-left MEPs.
Latin Americans negotiating trade deals with the EU, or planning to do so – Mexicans, Mercosur members, and Chile – might want to take note. Tajani is member of the EU Mercosur delegation in the European Parliament, and Pittella of the EU-Latin America group.
