The former president of the EU Parliament, Martin Schulz of Germany, stepped down last week after he was elected to take over as Chairman of the Social Democrat faction.
The new elections for parliamentary president will take place on July 1st.
Lunacek said that her decision to run in the elections was motivated by the personnel squabbles in the national governments. The European representatives could and should not allow interference in the democratic process of the European Parliament, she said.
Lunacek is Austria's first openly gay politician, and was recently attacked at Vienna's gay pride parade by someone spraying acid – but was luckily not injured.
Member comments