STRASBOURG — The Greens in the European Parliament chose Terry Reintke and Nicu Ștefănuță as their new leadership team on Tuesday, promising an energetic, campaign-focused push to revive a political group whose influence has diminished since its high-water mark in 2019. Reintke won another term as co-chair, while Romanian MEP Ștefănuță won the second-place contest over Belgium’s Sara Matthieu and Sweden’s Isabella Lövin. Reintke cast the result as a mandate for “a very energetic two and a half years,” saying the pair would “do a lot of campaigning” on climate protection, social justice, democracy and the rule of law.
But she also made clear that renewal would not mean a fundamental change of political course. He said the group had chosen to “invest in dynamism” and a leadership that takes seriously concerns such as “the fact that the cost of living is very high” and problems with energy prices and economic stability. The pitch is a delicate balancing act: present a sense of renewal ahead of the 2029 European election without abandoning a long-held strategy.
Reintke has led the Greens/EFA group since 2022. Ștefănuță has risen rapidly through its ranks since moving from Renew Europe in March 2023. Nine months later, the group elected him as one of its vice-presidents.
He went on to become a vice-president of the European Parliament in July 2024. The Romanian gives the leadership a different geographical profile, something Reintke herself highlighted after the vote. She said Ștefănuță’s election reflected a desire for greater regional representation and would bring “a broader perspective on the different realities in Europe.” One of the leadership jobs was opened up by Bas Eickhout’s resignation as co-chair and as an MEP in May.
Eickhout said at the time that he had had relationships that were inappropriate for his role and that he took responsibility for them. His departure removed one of the group’s most prominent politicians and triggered an unusually open contest for his replacement. The two new co-chairs now inherit the task of restoring some of the political weight the Greens enjoyed after the 2019 European election, when the group returned 74 MEPs and became the fourth-largest force in Parliament.
Today, the Greens/EFA have 53 lawmakers and rank sixth. Reintke suggested that rebuilding those numbers could begin even before voters return to the polls. She said the group has “a strategy of growth” and wants to attract new MEPs, with discussions over possible enlargement expected in the coming months.
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