Jordi Solé elected President of the EFA Group in the European Parliament

- Jordi Solé replaces Oriol Junqueras and becomes Vice President of Greens/EFA Group

Catalan MEP Jordi Solé has today been elected President of the European Free Alliance (EFA) Group in the European Parliament and becomes First Vice President of the Greens/EFA Group.

He replaces Oriol Junqueras who has so far been prevented from taking his seat in the European Parliament following the intervention of Spanish authorities. Oriol Junqueras is a political prisoner in Spain, held for his role in holding an independence referendum in Catalonia in 2017.  

Whilst the European Court of Justice ruled that Junqueras had been duly elected as an MEP, he was prevented from travelling to take up his seat, and Spanish authorities further intervened to deny him his democratically elected mandate. He is appealing once again in the European Courts.

Jordi Solé takes Oriol's place until then, and following his election today, Jordi Solé said:

"Oriol Junqueras was elected in January as EFA president and he should be the one playing this role still today. But as Spain is shamefully keeping him in prison for having organised a referendum on Catalonia's independence, today and until his political rights will be fully restored I am replacing him.

"EFA's voice is today more needed than ever and I will do my best to advance the cause of Europe's stateless nations, which is the voice of democracy."

Jordi Solé is a member of Esquerra Republica de Catalunya, and served as an MEP in the previous Parliament from 2017.

The European Free Alliance (EFA) is in a joint parliamentary group with the European Greens, a group of 68 MEPs in total. EFA is made up of MEPs representing Europe's stateless nations, regions and minorities.