Procedure for 2019 Green leading candidates

Procedure for the 2019 Green leading candidates – Spitzenkandidaten (slightly adapted to reflect the council decision, changes in red)

Introduction

In the Member States, the European election campaigns are run at the national level, with their own context and the usual national time frames, just a few months before the May 2019 elections. However, discussions in the EP and in the European political parties about selecting their Spitzenkandidaten– i.e. candidate president for the EU Commission – anticipate the timeline of the 2019 election campaign to start at the end of 2018, with debates with the leading candidates possibly beginning as early as December 2018.

The Spitzenkandidatenscheme was successful in 2014, so we want to build on that experience. We had two candidates then, but this time it is up to the EGP council to decide whether we will have two again or, as the EGP committee proposes, just one.  

The EGP Committee proposes that the EGP member parties elect the Green leading candidates for the 2019 EP campaign during the 2018 Autumn Council, 23-25 November 2018, following the procedures, requirements and timeline below.

Decision by the Antwerp Council delegates: The EGP council in Antwerp, decides to nominate two leading candidates / Spitzenkandidaten.

Contenders and the role of member parties 

-       The EGP committee will open the call for contenders on 8 June 2018. 

-       Contenders can present themselves until 14 September and must be officially nominated by the member party of each interested contender

-       The EGP Council in Antwerp decides to nominate two Spitzenkandidaten. At least one of the contenders must be eligible for election to the European Parliament. The contenders must present themselves for the European elections on one of the lists (including alliances) of an EU EGP member party. 

-       Contenders are invited to present their political agenda in a maximum of two pages; they should be prepared to travel throughout the EU; to represent the Greens in leading transnational debates with the other political families; and to campaign transnationally to support EU EGP member parties' campaign activities. 

-       Member parties must explicitly consent to the participation of the contenders they nominate. The parties can nominate a non-member as a leading candidate.

-       In a second phase, in order to emphasise the transnational character of the European elections, all contenders must acquire the explicit support of at least five additional EU EGP member parties by 28 September 2018 to become a contender in the election of the Green leading candidates. 

-       EU EGP member parties may support two leading candidates.

-       The parties must confirm their choice/support in writing. 

-       The Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) may nominate a youth contender. However, such a contender will also require the support of at least five EU EGP member parties. The FYEG can also support two contenders.

-       Candidate EGP member parties cannot nominate a contender but can support two. 

-       The EGP will be fully transparent during this process and provide information accordingly to the international secretaries of the EGP EU member parties.

-       The EGP will create a level playing field through equal promotion, representation and support to all contenders throughout the process. 

-       The contenders will present themselves at the Autumn Council in Berlin, 23-25 November 2018. 

Voting for the Green leading candidates

-       Voting for the Green leading candidates will take place during the Autumn Council, following the EGP voting procedures.

-       The Green leading candidates will be the heart and face of our campaign tasked with representing our political family throughout the campaign. 

Annex: Timeline