Outgoing European parliament president Martin Schulz has hit out at so-called populist parties as he prepares to run in Germany’s federal elections.<br /><br /> Schulz will stand down next month so he can be a candidate for the Social Democrats in the autumn.<br /><br /> “This transnational democracy is in great danger today, and everywhere on this continent the splits and the ultra-nationalists are spreading again. Those who are bringing people against each other. I will certainly fight against this hate no matter where,” he told MEPs.<br /><br /> Former Belgian PM Guy Verhofstadt is the liberal candidate to succeed him, although he stands little chance of succeeding.<br /><br /> The centre-left Social Democrats are putting up Gianni Pittella, who says he will end the cross-party ‘grand coalition’ in the European Parliament.<br /><br /> “A political cycle is over. It was a phase characterized by the cooperation among the Socialists, the People’s party and the Liberals,” Pittella told euronews. <br /><br /> “But nowadays we must listen and give answers to the poorest among our citizens. Nowadays the big priorities are inequality, poverty, social exclusion and security.”<br /><br /> The conservative EPP have picked former European commissioner Antonio Tajani to run for the position, which is a largely ceremonial post.<br /><br /> “For us the traditional agreement is the the one we have with the Socialists, the Liberals and with the Green, we will see,” he said.<br />“These are our traditional networks and alliances.”<br /><br /> If Tajani would the third right-winger to take a top EU job with <br />Donald Tusk as European Council president and Jean-Claude Juncker as European Commission president.<br />
