Invitation for the third consecutive election of the Vice-President of the EPP Club

Croatian European Parliament member Zeljana Zovko has been elected for the third consecutive term as vice-president of the European People's Party group. Her office announced the result late Tuesday evening. The EPP is the largest political group within the European Parliament. During the leadership elections, members voted for a president and ten vice-presidents. Manfred Weber retained his position as the group's leader. Zovko, who represents the Croatian Democratic Union, stated that her repeated election was both an honor and a responsibility. She described the outcome as recognition of her contributions to the group's shared priorities. In a statement released after the vote, she thanked her colleagues for their support. She also expressed gratitude to the Croatian Democratic Union, President Andrej Plenkoic, and the Croatian HDZ/EPP delegation for backing her candidacy. Zovko noted that the result confirms the strong position of her delegation, which includes six members contributing to the shaping of European policies. Since entering the European Parliament in 2016, Zovko has focused her work on foreign policy, security, defense, international trade, and EU enlargement. Within the group's presidency, she initiated closer coordination with EPP partners in the parliamentary assemblies of the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and NATO. The objective of this networking was to ensure stronger and more coherent representation of common priorities regarding security, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. In the current parliamentary session, Zovko holds the portfolio for EPP diplomacy. This role involves developing relations with international partners. She placed particular emphasis on maintaining dialogue with representatives from both political parties in the US Congress. As the standing rapporteur for EPP trade relations with the United States, she worked to preserve the stability of the transatlantic economic partnership. Her efforts included securing parliamentary support for the Turnberry trade agreement. Zovko emphasized that diplomacy must yield concrete results for citizens and economies. Regarding relations with the United States, she cited the need to protect companies and the 16 million jobs dependent on the transatlantic economy. She stated that partnerships strengthening European security, economic stability, and global influence would remain central to her future actions. Her diplomatic engagement has also extended to cooperation with Australia and Switzerland, linking parliamentary diplomacy with the union's trade, security, and defense priorities. Inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue constitutes another significant aspect of her work. As co-chair of an EPP working group dedicated to this area, she advocated for freedom of religion and belief. She also promoted the protection of persecuted Christians and the inclusion of diverse religious communities in dialogues with European institutions. Meetings with the Pope were highlighted as specific recognitions of this effort. The announcement concluded with Zovko stating that the trust shown in her today serves as further motivation. She intends to continue working through diplomacy and strong partnerships toward a safer Europe, a more competitive economy, and the well-being of Croatian and European citizens. The information was provided via a press release from her office. Both sources reporting on the event confirmed the details of her mandate, her specific portfolios, and her statements regarding transatlantic relations and religious dialogue. No other candidates or voting statistics were detailed in the reports. The focus remained entirely on Zovko's career trajectory since 2016 and her specific responsibilities within the EPP structure.