Syed Kamall: new leader of European Conservatives and Reformists | WPN World People News

British MEP Syed Kamall is the new head of the European Conservatives and Reformists, the Parliament's third largest political group.

Regarding the nomination of European Commission´s new president, Mr Kamall criticised the "spitzenkandidaten" process, which involved European political parties each presenting their candidate for the post of Commission president. As a results of the European elections in May, the EPPs Jean-Claude Juncker emerged as the frontrunner. The ECR leader called the process "a very tenuous interpretation of the Lisbon treaty", adding: "We are focusing on an institutional issue rather than trying to resolve peoples' problems." However, he also pointed out: " [As group leader] I will have to work with whoever ends up as the president of the Commission, so I don´t want to look back to who else it could have been. If it does end up being Juncker, I´ll have to work with him."

Dr Kamall was born on 15 February 1967 in London. He holds academic degrees in electronic engineering and economics and a PhD in organisational change. Before joining the European Parliament, he worked as an analyst and a consultant. He became an MEP in 2005 and was re-elected in 2009. Since November 2013, he has been a member of the ECR's bureau. During the last legislative term, he participated in the economic and monetary affairs committee.

Source: European Parliament