Mairead McGuinness has been re-elected First Vice-President of the European Parliament securing over 93% of the votes in parliament.
The MEP received 618 votes in a valid poll of 661 votes in Strasbourg this evening, Wednesday, July 3.
McGuinness secured 134,630 first-preference votes, topping the poll in the Midlands North-West constituency in May’s European elections.
The MEP said she was deeply honoured to be re-elected as First Vice-President of the Parliament.
I am truly humbled by the size of the support I have received from my colleagues across parliament in different political groupings, particularly given that over 60% of MEPs are new this term.
“Being firm and fair is the hallmark of the way in which I operate and I will continue to do that in this new parliament.
“I will continue to act in the best interests of European citizens, of those in Ireland and in my constituency of Midlands North-West,” she said.
Beef farmer ‘confidence shattered’
McGuinness recently commented on the EU-Mercosur Agreement, struck last week, stating that beef farmers feel “they’re being got at from every angle” and their “confidence is shattered”.
McGuinness was reacting to the EU-Mercosur trade deal when she spoke to Sean O’Rourke on RTE Radio 1 earlier this week on Monday, July 1.
“While we live by trade, we want to make sure it’s fair and balanced, and at a time we’re asking beef farmers to be so exacting. And indeed there is terrible criticism of beef farmers around climate issues,” said the Fine Gael MEP.
How can we justify 99,000t of beef coming in from Brazil, where standards are absolutely different, and lower in my view? Also, there is the huge climate impact of that.
McGuinness also expressed concerns that the agreement had gone through too soon after the European elections.
“What I regret to see is this tentative agreement happening at a time when our committees are not formed yet, when the parliament isn’t sitting properly,” she said, highlighting: “This will be a very hot potato for the agriculture committee, and also for the environment committee.”