New ALDE Group leader thanks Watson for excellent job

5.23.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 30th Jun 2009

Former Belgian Prime Minister, Guy Verhofstadt, was elected today unopposed as the new ALDE group leader succeeding outgoing leader, Graham Watson.

Guy Verhofstadt thanked the group membership for their unanimous support and singled out Graham Watson "for the excellent job he had done as group leader over the last seven and half years and in building up the Liberal and Democrat group into the third largest political force in the Parliament."

He expressed his conviction that "a coherent and united ALDE group can be a major force in European decision-making over the years ahead which present a number of significant challenges." Key amongst those challenges will be the resolution of the economic and financial crisis.

"Europe is not the problem but the solution to the problems facing Europe at the moment. We need more, not less Europe," he concluded.

Verhofstadt immediately convened a meeting of the group for tomorrow morning to discuss a common position on the nomination of José Manuel Barroso as Commission President.

Diana Wallis MEP (UK, Lib Dem) who had been a contender for the ALDE leadership withdrew her candidature in favour of Mr. Verhofstadt. For his part, Guy Verhofstadt proposed to the group that Diana Wallis be one of the candidates for the Vice President of the European Parliament which was supported unanimously by the group.

Diana Wallis said: "I have enjoyed the role as Vice President for the past two and a half years with specific responsibility for transparency and I look forward to building on that experience and in helping to make Parliament a truly open and democratic body."