This week, Greens/EFA MEPs elected Terry Reintke MEP as the new President of their group in the European Parliament.
After the resignation of Ska Keller as European Greens/EFA Co-President in September, fellow MEPs have chosen the popular Terry Reintke to replace her. The German MEP was first elected to the European Parliament in 2014, and will take the reins alongside the Belgian veteran MEP Philippe Lamberts.
“I am overwhelmed and delighted by the great trust that the Greens/EFA Group has placed in me. I would like to thank my predecessor Ska Keller, a fantastic Group Co-Chair who leaves big shoes to fill.”
Reintke states that her priorities as co-chair will be the fight against climate change, advocating for social justice, and the defence of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in the EU.
She also is pushing for an EU Solidarity Fund that can help address the current crisis for the most affected. Furthermore, she has stated she is committed to finding the right answers to the climate crisis through the implementation of a Green Deal.
“I look forward to working with my Co-Chair Philippe Lamberts and a strong Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament. I am ready," the new president stated.
Youngest woman to be elected to the EP
When she was first elected, she was the youngest woman in Parliament, and had previously been the spokesperson of the Federation of Young European Greens from 2011 to 2013.
In this legislature, she is a strong voice for equality in terms of gender, LGBTQ rights, and often speaks up against racism and far-right politics.
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Today, she sits as a member of the Committees on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), as well as a substitute on the Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL).
As a self-defined anglophile, she has been a vocal opponent of Brexit and the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
Since 2021, she has been part of the Parliament's delegation to the EU-UK Parliamentary Assembly, which provides parliamentary oversight over the implementation of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
In September 2022, Ska Keller announced her resignation as Co-Chair of her party's group as well as her decision not to run again in the 2024 Parliamentary elections, but will continue as an MEP in the meantime.
In the European Parliament, the Greens hold 72 of the 705 seats.
