Duris Nicholsonova Becomes Head of EP Employment and Social Affairs Committee

Brussels/Strasbourg, July 18 (TASR-correspondent) – Slovak MEP Lucia Duris Nicholsonova (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) faction was elected head of the EP Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) on Thursday.Thirty-eight of the 55 members of the committee voted in her favour, with 14 against and three abstentions.

Former Polish prime minister and MEP Beata Szydlova was originally nominated for the post, but she paid the price for the fact that liberal faction Renew Europe Group decided to boycott candidates for committee chairs and vice-chairs from populist parties and from countries towards which the EU has reservations due to infringements of the principles of the rule of law.

Duris Nicholsonova in her speech expressed thanks for this opportunity and stressed that she’s willing to cooperate with all members of all factions constructively. She called on them to resolve their conflicts, if they have any, in the plenary of the EP and not within the committee.

Only two Slovak women have seats the EP, but both have managed to secure prominent posts. Monika Benova of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) faction has become one of the quaestors of the EP.

Both Duris Nicholsonova and Benova have been elected for the first half of the current EP term, i.e. for two-and-a-half years, ending in January 2022.