But she also made clear that renewal would not mean a fundamental change of political course.
“Obviously it’s a renewed leadership,” Reintke said. “But we are also going to continue the line on engaging and fighting in this house for everything that we can achieve in the next two and a half years.”
Ștefănuță, meanwhile, presented the new leadership as an attempt to broaden the Greens’ appeal beyond their traditional environmental agenda, pointing to younger voters and bread-and-butter economic concerns.
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.