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Creighton congratulates Martin Schulz MEP on his election as President of the European Parliament
The Minister for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD, has today (Tuesday) congratulated Martin Schulz MEP on his election as president of the European Parliament.
MEPs elected Martin Schulz to be the new president with 387 votes in favour out of 670 cast. The 56-year old German MEP will lead the European parliament for two and half years, until the beginning of the next legislature in July 2014.
Minister Creighton said: "I wish President Schulz the very best for his term in office. The next two and a half years will be a challenging period for the European Parliament and I am confident that President Schulz is extremely well equipped to deal with those challenges. We had the opportunity to meet when I visited the European Parliament in Strasbourg in November and had a very useful exchange, particularly in relation to the upcoming Irish Presidency of the European Union.
"I would also like to pay tribute to the outgoing president, Jerzy Buzek MEP, who served with distinction and integrity. I had the pleasure of welcoming former president Buzek to Ireland in July for what was a very successful visit."