Italian and Polish MEPs seek parliament presidency

NEGOTIATIONS involving two governments and four political groups to decide who will be the president of the European Parliament for the next five years are under way.

A deal between the European People’s Party and the Socialists to split the important post between them was in disarray after the left wing group suffered heavy losses in the European elections, leaving the centre-right EPP the clear winners.

But within that group, a row has broken out over who their candidate should be, with an Italian MEP battling against a Pole.