Press point by Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ, Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group leader following the election of the S&D group leader for the new term of the European Parliament. This transcription is the result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Brussels

press point

GARCÍA PÉREZ, Iratxe (S&D, ES)

2024 European elections (T)

S&D Press briefing with the newly elected President of the S&D Group

SOUNDBITE (English), Iratxe GARC&Iacute;A P&Eacute;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), Thank you. Thank you, all of you, for attending this point, thank you for to be here. First of all, I would like to thank my colleagues for its unanimous support. My reelection really that is the endorsement of the work done in the last five years. We managed to move for war despite everything and against all odds. We have managed to hold back the extreme-right.

SOUNDBITE (English), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ  (S&D, ES), We were insisting a lot during our campaign. We were insisting a lot during the first weeks here in the European Parliament that we have very clear our priorities as a political family. We have very clear our values as a political group, and we will take into account all these values and all these ideas for the important work that we have done since now.

SOUNDBITE (English), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ  (S&D, ES), And now it's time to move on. It is time to deliver. Continuity and unity in the Social Democratic project. As the second force in the European Parliament and key to build the pro-European alliance in the European Parliament and in the European project, of course. I want to be very clear. There were a lot of people, a lot of forces trying to send the message that we could have a bad result during the European elections.

SOUNDBITE (English), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ  (S&D, ES), And the 9th of June, we could see that really an important support for the citizens to our political family, give us the reasons to continue working with these priorities. And now it's time to deliver. Now it's time to start with the negotiations here in the European Parliament with other groups to create to create alliances. In this issue, I will repeat and I will insist in something that I'm insisting during the last weeks, we will work and we will dialogue with all pro-European political forces.

SOUNDBITE (English), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ  (S&D, ES), Our only red line is the extreme-right. There is no a good far right and a bad far right. It is far right, the far right which want to destroy the European Union. And this is very clear for us. And we will work on this aggression here in the European Parliament to build this pro-European alliance.

SOUNDBITE (English), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ  (S&D, ES), And we want to insist and to work with our priorities: equality, democracy, rule of law, of course, a strong agenda for a social democratic and sustainable Europe, investing in people and empower workers. Not pause on the Green Deal. We have to continue with our ambitious about the Green Deal, investing in industry and continue supporting Ukraine and peace in the Middle East. This is our priorities, principal priorities.

SOUNDBITE (English), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ  (S&D, ES), Of course now, with my re-election as a President tomorrow, we will continue with the bureau of the Group, and it will be the moment to open these priorities with our group and with other groups to build this alliance. Thank you all of you, for your cooperation during these days. And now I'm open for your questions. Thank you.

Q&A, Question on the S&D leading candidate for the European Commission.

SOUNDBITE (English), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ  (S&D, ES), As probably you know, we are a political family and we have a negotiator. Olaf Scholz and Pedro Sanchez, are negotiating at a Council and they are doing their work. We'll do our work here and in the European Parliament and, of course, with our party, with the PS. Nicolas Schmit was a great Spitzenkandidaten and candidate from our political family. It's the best example of how the Social Democrats are working to guarantee the social model and the workers' rights, and we will work very hard to support him. This is what I can tell you now.

Q&A, Questions on the role of the Spanish Delegation in the S&D, and on the negotiations with ECR for internal European Parliament positions.

SOUNDBITE (English), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ  (S&D, ES), I will repeat that here at the European Parliament, as Social Democrats, we have clear our red lines, and our red lines are with ECR and with ID. We would see what is the position from other political groups. But in any case, our position is clear.

SOUNDBITE (English), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ  (S&D, ES), With regard to the first question, of course, the Spanish delegation is the second largest delegation in the S&D group. The Italian delegation is the largest one. I want to congratulate our Italian colleagues, especially the leader of the Partito Democratico, Elly Schlein, for the wonderful result. We are very proud of their work, with the Italians and with all other delegations.

SOUNDBITE (English), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ  (S&D, ES), We were negotiating about the future of this group. We were always thinking in the common understanding, thinking in the unity of our group. Of course, Italians will have a very good representation of the different areas in our group. And we thought, this is the same. I think that now we have to do our work to make a balance with the different responsibilities. But in any case, all of them are important. The different national delegations are very important. And we will do this work together with unity, with coperation and the great idea that if we are united, we are stronger. And I am very proud to start now, this term, with this unity in sight, in our group.

Q&A, Question about the vote of S&D for the future President of the Commission.

SOUNDBITE (English), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ  (S&D, ES), We will wait for the agreement. I think that it's important. I know that there is some information, if the agreement is done or not, we will wait till Thursday to see if the Council ratifies the agreement. In this case, we will start to work here. And of course, for us, it's important to insist that we want a deal. And at the same time, we want to negotiate policies. This cannot be a blank check. We have to speak about our priorities. And we will be very serious on this way. Now we are starting with the first issues, organising the group with the different delegations. And if we have more info about the future members, we will tell you something, not now.