Co-President Cornelia Ernst (GUE/NGL)
Cornelia Ernst MEP has been a Member of the European Parliament for the Die Linke part since 2009. She is a member of the LIBE committee, substitute member of the ITRE committee as well as a member of the Delegation for Relations with Iran.
Prior to being elected in the European Parliament, Ms. Ernst was a member of the parliament of the German state of Saxony. At the same time, she was the Chairperson of the Saxon regional branch of her party.
She decided to enter politics following German reunification, outbreaks of racist violence in Germany and the arrival of people seeking protection from the war in Bosnia. Her main topics are fighting racism and promoting diversity, the right to asylum and home affairs topics.
Co-President Younous Omarjee MEP (GUE/NGL)
Younous Omarjee MEP is a French Member of the European Parliament since January 2012. Mr. Omarjee is currently the Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Regional Development.
After finishing his studies in Law and Political science, Mr. Omarjee was the project leader at the cabinet of the General Council of La Reunion. He then served as a political advisor to President of Reunion Island Paul Vergès in the French Senate and later in the European Parliament.
In the European Parliament, he sits within the Group of the European Unitary Left – Nordic Green Left (GUE-NGL), and is part of “France Insoumise” movement.
Co-President Dr. Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana MEP (Greens/EFA)
Dr. Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana MEP is the first woman of African descent to be elected to the European Parliament from Germany. She is the first vice-president of the Development committee and a substitute member of the committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality.
A dedicated advocate for equality and human rights, Dr. Herzberger-Fofana was previously a local councillor in her home town of Erlangen.
During her time as a local councillor, Dr. Herzberger-Fofana established “Black History Weeks” in the frame of the UN Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024) to promote “recognition, justice & development” people of Afro-descent. She also led her school’s participation in the “Schools against racism, Schools with courage” programme. Both of these programmes work towards establishing understanding and trust between different communities and promoting the inclusion of Afro-German history within the wider German Society.
Co-President Romeo Franz (Greens/EFA)
Romeo Franz joined the European Parliament as a member in 2018 and was re-elected in 2019, being the first Sinto from Germany elected in the European Parliament. Mr. Franz is the first vice chair of the Culture and Education Committee and substitute member of the Committees on Employment and Social Affairs and LIBE Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.
Since 2014, he has been Managing Director of the Hildegard Lagrenne Foundation and has been involved in civil rights work on the topic of “People with Romani backgrounds (Sinti and Roma)” for more than 20 years.
Co-President Samira Rafaela MEP (Renew Europe)
Samira Rafaela MEP was elected to the European Parliament in May 2019. In the European Parliament, Ms. Rafaela is a member of the Committee on International Trade and the committee on Women’s rights and Gender Equality. She is also a substitute member in the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. In the EUROLAT delegation, Ms. Rafaela serves as 1st Vice President of the Committee on Economic, Financial and Commercial Affairs.
Prior to her election to the European Parliament, she advised the Dutch police force on inclusion and diversity.
Co-President Evin Incir (S&D)
Evin Incir is a Member of European Parliament and a member of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament
Before representing Sweden in the European Parliament, Ms. Incir served as the Deputy Secretary of International Affairs of the Social Democratic Party in Sweden. Ms. Incir serves on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and on the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee.
Co-President Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ (S&D)
Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ is a Member of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament.
She is a Member in the Committee on Development and a Substitute Member in the Committee on Regional Development. She is also a Member of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly and the Delegation for relations with Mercosur, and a Substitute Member in Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.
She is a member of the Federal Executive Commission of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party and previously served as member of the Assembly of Madrid.
Vice-President Hilde Vautmans MEP (Renew Europe)
Hilde Vautmans MEP is a Belgian Member of European Parliament for the Open Vld. She entered the European Parliament on the 12th of January 2015 and was re-elected for a second legislature during the May 2019 elections. She is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET). As a substitute, she is a member of the Agriculture Committee (AGRI) and the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (LIBE).
Ms. Vatumans is a member of the Renew Europe group, the liberal group of the European Parliament, for which she is the coordinator on Foreign Affairs. She also acts as the delegation leader of Open Vld, the Flemish liberal political party, in the European Parliament.
She is also is Co-Chair of the European Parliament Intergroup on Children’s Rights and chairs the MEP Horse Group.
She combines her office as MEP with being an alderwomen in the City of Sint-Truiden, responsible for education, youth, agriculture and tourism.
Vice-President Peter Pollák MEP (EPP)
Peter Pollák MEP (PhD) is a Slovak politician elected to the European Parliament as a member of the Ordinary people and Independent personalities (OLaNO) political party.
In the national election in 2012, he was elected to the Slovak National Council as the first Deputy of Roma origin. Mr. Pollák has also served as the Slovak government Plenipotentiary for Roma communities. He has extensive knowledge on Roma realities from his time in government and previously as a university teacher as well as a project manager in the non-governmental sector.