The European Parliament is now in full swing following the summer break. We traditionally reconvene on the last Monday in August – it’s a public holiday only in Britain and a normal working day in all other Member States. Hence the Brits draw the short straw and are required to work when everyone else is taking it easy. Still, never mind. It really would be churlish to complain.
So I’m now back in Brussels. We have just elected the S&D (Socialist Group) Co-ordinator on the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee and chose the excellent Britta Thomsen from Denmark who is a long standing member of the Committee and a strong advocate for women. Very best of luck to you Britta.
Each of the political groups appoints a Co-ordinator on all the European Parliament Committees. As the second largest Group in the Parliament the S&D Co-ordinator can be compared to the United States House Minority Leader in relation to the Committee. Although the EU set up is not directly comparable to that in the USA it is much closer to the American system that anything we have in Britain. Hence House Minority Leader is the best brief description of what is an important role.
I will report more news as the week unfolds. In the meantime the weather here is bright and sunny – the perfect August bank holiday.
