An ally of the former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been elected president of the European parliament after a deal was struck between two of the institution’s largest political groups, consolidating a conservative grip on key European Union institutions.

Antonio Tajani, who has been elected as an MEP four times and was previously a vice-president of the European parliament, beat the centre-left leader and fellow Italian Gianni Pittella by 351 votes to 282 in a rare fourth-round runoff, contrary to past appointments decided by mainstream parties before the voting.

Tajani’s victory followed a pact between his centre-right group and the liberals, led by the Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt. He relied for his victory on support from the ruling conservative parties of Britain and Poland, which are sharply critical of the EU.

The combined weight of Tajani’s European People’s party and Verhofstadt’s liberals – the first and fourth largest groups respectively – made it difficult for a rival candidate to prevail.



Tajani, a former spokesman for Berlusconi who went on to serve as Italy’s European commissioner for two successive mandates, is a familiar face in EU politics. During the VW emissions scandal he was accused of not carrying out his responsibilities as EU industry commissioner. Tajani has always insisted he knew nothing about problems with car emissions tests, despite warnings from colleagues (paywall) at the European commission.



The way was cleared for Tajani after Verhofstadt made clear he was pulling out of the race on Tuesday morning. The liberals agreed to support Tajani in exchange for an agreement to create a “reflection group” on the future of the EU, as well as a new committee on EU police cooperation.

The agreement also secures the position of Verhofstadt as the parliament’s Brexit representative. The European parliament must approve the final Brexit deal and MEPs from both groups are anxious to ensure they are involved from the start of negotiations, after Theresa May triggers article 50.

The deal is a boost for Verhofstadt, who last week suffered a blow after his liberal colleagues failed to back his plan to join forces with Beppe Grillo’s populist Five Star Movement. The liberal leader described the deal as “a first important step in the construction of a pro-European coalition to reform and strengthen our union, which is absolutely necessary”.

The European Conservatives and Reformists, the British Tory-dominated alliance which is the third largest group, is likely to be kingmaker, although for now it continues to support its candidate, the Belgian MEP Helga Stevens.

The biggest loser from the deal was Gianni Pittella. Under a decades-old tradition, the parliament’s two largest blocs, the centre-right EPP and the socialists, passed the presidency between them. But the socialists angered the centre-right by attempting to get the post for a third successive mandate, following the departure of Martin Schulz.

Schulz, who is leaving Brussels and Strasbourg for national politics, has given the European parliament a bigger profile than under previous leaders. The German Social Democrat has set the tone on Brexit, by calling for the UK to make a swift exit, and frequently made waves by lamenting the failure of national leaders to sell the European project.



There are no guarantees his successor will enjoy the same standing, although that person will continue to represent MEPs at European leaders’ summits and lead plenary sessions in Brussels and Strasbourg.



Tajani’s victory cements the centre-right’s dominance of top EU jobs. The European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the European council leader, Donald Tusk, are drawn from the EPP. The EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, and the head of the eurogroup, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, represent the centre-left.

Reuters contributed to this report