German elected president of EU parliament

BRUSSELS, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- German conservative Hans-Gert Pottering has been elected the next president of the European Parliament.

Germany took over the EU rotating presidency on Jan. 1

Pottering, a close ally of German Chancellor Merkel, is a longtime member of the European Parliament. He is the former chairman of the European People's Party, which includes the governing parties of France and Germany, Deutsche Welle reported.

Pottering has said his priority will be to rejuvenate the EU constitution that was rejected by voters in France and Holland in 2005, the newspaper said.