During the EP plenary session (12 - 15 March 2018) in Strasbourg, MEPs vote on the appointment of Luis DE GUINDOS as Vice-President of the European Central Bank. Statements by Rainer WIELAND (PPE, DE), Brian HAYES (EPP, IE), Pervenche BERÈS (S&D, FR) and Sven GIEGOLD (Greens/EFA, DE).

Strasbourg

plenary session

vote

BERÈS, Pervenche (S&D, FR)

appointment of a member of the ECB Executive Board (T)

HAYES, Brian (EPP, IE)

GIEGOLD, Sven (Greens/EFA, DE)

WIELAND, Rainer (EPP, DE)

DE GUINDOS JURADO, Luis (ES)

Appointment of the Vice-President of the European Central Bank: extracts from the vote

EP Vice-President Rainer WIELAND (EPP, DE) starts to open the vote on the nomination (report GUALTIERI) but is interripted but Sven GIEGOLD (Greens/EFA Group, DE) (5 shots).

SOUNDBITE (English), Sven GIEGOLD (Greens/EFA, DE), We hope for your support in order to put pressure on the Council to get more parliamentary say over the nomination of board members and therefore we should vote to postpone this vote for the nomination. We have all legal right to wait a bit longer.

SOUNDBITE (English), Brian HAYES (EPP, IE), I would remind colleagues on all sides that ECB has already given an opinion on this matter, ECON has by a significant majority supported the nomination that is before this house today, we have had two hearings, one in camera and one public hearing, where the candidate has demonstrated an excellent understanding of monetary policy and also has demonstrated a commitment to the EU. So it is our view Sir, that we should proceed with the vote, because, if this house wants to be taken seriously, we jealously guard all of the procedures that we have, we have followed the letter of the law. While there can always be improvements, especially on the question of gender and that is a matter for Member States to improve, we should proceed with this vote.

SOUNDBITE (French), Pervenche BER&#200;S (S&amp;D, FR), I would like to correct my colleague Brian HAYES because the vote in the ECON committee was not with a large support, if you count the number of abstentions, and the number of votes against, they were equivalent of the votes in favour. So I don't think that DE GUINDOS obtained a very large majority in the ECON committee, you can't say that. But I want to go past this stage in our debate, because I know the importance to our institution of what is happening. In respect of the full competencies and the authority and legitimacy of the ECB, we must reinforce the transparency, the equality, the nomination calendar for members of this institution above and beyond what is written in the Treaty.

EP Vice-President Rainer WIELAND (EPP, DE) opens the vote to postpone vote on the nomination (7 shots).

Sign showing result of the vote to postpone, 199 in favour, 481 aginst and 20 abstentions.

EP Vice-President Rainer WIELAND (EPP, DE) opens the vote on the nomination (5 shots).

Sign showing result of the vote, 331 in favour, 306 against and 64 abstentions, the vote is carried.