Madrid hosts congress of EU Parliament's European People's Party group

The Spanish capital city of Madrid is hosting the statutory congress of the European People's Party, the largest group in the European Parliament.

The two-day event is hosted by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, EPP President Joseph Daul and EPP Secretary General Antonio Lopez-Isturiz. It will be attended by around 750 delegates, among whom are 14 heads of state from EU and non-EU nations.

Among the EU heads of state and government attending are Angel Merkel (Germany), Boyko Borissov (Bulgaria), Viktor Orban (Hungary), Pedro Passos Coelho (Portugal), Laimdota Straujuma (Latvia), Enda Kenny (Ireland) and Nicos Anastasiades (Cyprus), while European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk are all attending.

Shortly before the inauguration, Rajoy presented Juncker with the New Economic Forum prize at a ceremony held here.

The congress will see discussions over economic policies needed to "overcome economic difficulties and return to growth and job creation," while the need for a digital single market and the need to teach the skills for the digital era are also on the agenda.

The EPP will also be looking at security issues both inside and outside threats in a context where "the separation between internal and external threats no longer exists."

This will highlight issues such as the Ukraine and the conflicts in Syria and Libya, as well as the subsequent threat of extremism and terrorism and the ongoing migrant crisis caused by these conflicts.

The Congress will also see the election of a new EPP president, 10 vice presidents and a treasurer. Endit