Terry Reintke’s candidacy kickstarts Greens EU elections top job race

German MEP Terry Reintke, co-president of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, kickstarted the European Green’s lead candidate race by presenting her candidacy on Tuesday (25 October), as reported by Euractiv in September, with more candidates expected by the end of November.

Reintke had already told Euractiv she was eyeing the top job in September.

“This is definitely something that tempts me (…) it is certainly something that I have an interest in,” she said, adding that her CV and ‘where my heart lies in politics’ clearly sets a path towards being “a European politician”, she said.

Reintke announced her candidacy before the opening of registrations on 6 November, while the full candidate list will be announced on 30 November, a spokesperson from the European Green Party told Euractiv.

With this move, she is laying her claim to the Commission presidency.

Though the lead candidates will ultimately be elected at the European Green Party congress in Lyon from February 2nd to 4th 2024, she is set to get the post due to her influence and leadership, having already gathered the support of German Greens co-chairs Ricarda Lang and Omid Nouripour.

‘Making the European Union climate-neutral and socially just is not a sprint, it is a marathon (…) As a long-distance runner, as a child of the Ruhr area, as a passionate European, I want to take part in the election campaign as the top candidate of the European Green Party,” Reintke told the press.

Reintke said her experience as the co-president of the Greens group in the European Parliament gave her the necessary skills for the top job.

‘I lead the Green parliamentary group with a clear compass and fair negotiating skills, with pragmatism and an idea of where we want to go. With all of these qualities, I would like to make an offer to the Greens in Europe to lead them into the next European election campaign and fight for Green politics’, she added.

After the registration deadline and the announcement, the candidates will present themselves to national delegations on 2 December during an online congress. A pan-European campaign will follow.

Even though the Greens will choose two lead candidates to ensure gender balance, party officials stress that the possibility of two female candidates is on the table.

[Edited by Alice Taylor]