Lithuania MEP leaves Eurosceptic group to join EP liberals

Mazuronis told BNS on Tuesday he had met with ALDE leader Guy Verhofstad to sign a statement on transfer to the new political group.

“On the political level, we have agreed and there seem to be no problems but we had to discuss certain technical matters – termination of agreements with one group and signing of other ones with the new group,” said Mazuronis.

He said that the ALDE group would better reflect his attitude towards the European Union (EU) than the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) he used to be a member of. The Lithuanian MEP said the transition was a “logical step”, as the Labour Party’s founder Viktor Uspaskich is also part of ALDE.

Mazuronis also stated that, during the meeting with Verhofstad, he had made no demands on new positions in committees and expressed willingness to stay “in the same position”. Mazuronis currently works in the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee, the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, as well as the Delegation for Relations with the US and the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

Mazuronis said the official statement on his change of groups should be made during a plenary on Tuesday afternoon.

ALDE currently includes Petras Auštrevičius and Antanas Guoga of the Lithuanian Liberal Movement, as well as Uspaskich.

After leaving the Order and Justice party, Mazuronis joined the Labour Party in late April.