Parliament's ECR and Greens/EFA group candidates for the position of next European parliament president have called on MEPs to reject a "backroom deal" by the assembly's two largest groups to share the post.
ECR group candidate Sajjad Karim said Tuesday's deal by parliament's centre-right EPP and socialist S&D groups to split the presidency role which would see former president Martin Schulz back in the post for the first half of the new parliament's mandate, "destroys accountability and worsens the feeling of disconnection between voters and the EU institutions".
"All 751 MEPs should think hard and think as individuals before perpetuating the two-party stitch-up method of deciding the presidency of the European parliament."
He added, "You only have to look at the results of the European election to see that voters are demanding change. Some of them were even driven to the political extremes through disillusionment and sheer frustration.
"Unfortunately the response of the EPP and the S&D to this is a case of 'carry on as usual’.
"All 751 MEPs should think hard and think as individuals before perpetuating the two-party stitch-up method of deciding the presidency of the European parliament" - ECR group candidate Sajjad Karim
"They treat the voters like naughty schoolchildren who do not deserve to be heard. They treat their own and other MEPs the same way too. They conspire behind closed doors between themselves to decide who will be the next president of the European parliament.
"Voters want us to mend our ways. They want greater transparency, accountability and a clear response to their concerns. The big groups want things to stay just the way they are. They do not want to listen. All they offer is more of the same - locked doors, stitch-ups and backroom deals.
The leaders of parliament's two biggest groups, Manfred Weber and Martin Schulz held talks on Tuesday on building a 'grand coalition' within the parliament, in the wake of the European elections in May.
Neither of the main parties secured enough MEPs to form a majority in the assembly and the two groups have been informally discussing the mechanics of a deal to establish what Weber has called "common ground for a majority".
Late on Tuesday, the S&D camp announced that a deal had been struck on working together. Part of that agreement is the sharing of the parliament's top role between them.
"My candidacy is also an opposition to the 'grand coalition' and its likely impact in terms of stifling debate and, in particular, restricting the possibilities for smaller parties' positions to be taken account of in decision making" - Greens/EFA candidate Ulrike Lunacek
In a statement, the S&D group said, "Yesterday evening, the S&D members endorsed group president Martin Schulz as their candidate for president of the European parliament, to stand for election in Strasbourg next week."
Ulrike Lunacek, an Austrian MEP standing as the Greens/EFA candidate, said, "My decision to run as a candidate for the post of European parliament president has been prompted by the shadowy back room dealings by national governments on the top posts in the EU institutions."
"MEPs should not tolerate any interference in the parliament’s democratic process. We owe this also to our voters.
"My candidacy is also an opposition to the 'grand coalition' and its likely impact in terms of stifling debate and, in particular, restricting the possibilities for smaller parties' positions to be taken account of in decision making.
MEPs will vote on the position of European parliament president during their first plenary session of the new legislative term in Strasbourg next week.