Romanian MEP Laurentiu Rebega, the vice-chair of the Europe of Nations and Freedom political group, has joined the race for president of the European Parliament.

The Europe of Nations and Freedom group is the smallest in the European Parliament. It is co-chaired by Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's National Front (FN) and Dutch Marcel de Graaf, a former parliamentary leader of the Party for Freedom in the senate of the Netherlands. It’s ideology is centered on Nationalism, Euroscepticism, and Anti-immigration.

“I made this decision because I am concerned about the increasing distance between the European institutions and the interests of our citizens. As I said, it was not an easy decision, but I got the support of all my colleagues in the ENF Group,” Laurentiu Rebega said in a statement.

“I am convinced that all the political groups regardless of their orientation, are looking for a more democratic European Parliament. I am confident that all the MEPs will support a higher level of transparency. I am convinced that the real unity and diversity expressed by the European Union’s motto could be two complementary and equally important concepts. Moreover, I think a better Europe can only be built with stronger nations!,” he added.

Laurentiu Rebega was born in Valenii de Munte, Romania, in 1976. He has been a member of the European Parliament since 2014. Before that, from 2012 to 2014, he was the vice-president of Prahova County Council.

The European Parliament will elect a new President, for the second half of this legislature, on January 17. The new president will hold office until the 2019 European elections. The new holder of the position will oversee the election of the 14 Vice-Presidents and the five Quaestors, on January 18.

Current President Martin Schulz previously said he was stepping down to return to German politics, The Guardian reported.

The European Parliament presidential elections are seeing two Italian candidates on behalf of the two main political groups. They are former Commissioner Antonio Tajani, representing the center-right, European People’s Party EPP and former Parliament vice-president Gianni Pittella, on behalf of the Socialists & Democrats (S&D), euractiv.com reports. Former Belgian PM, leader of the liberal ALDE and the Parliament’s lead Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt is also in the race.

The elections come as the Parliament is expected to play an essential role in Britain’s departure from the EU, The Guardian reports. The European Parliament needs to ratify any exit agreement between the remaining EU member states and the UK.

The other candidates for the European Parliament presidency are Italians Eleonora Forenza, a member of the bureau of the Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left, and  Piernicola Pedicini, a member of Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy Group, Belgian Helga Stevens, a vice-chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group,  and British MEP Jean Lambert, a member of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com