An open power struggle has escalated between Manfred Weber, leader of the EPP parliamentary group and party, and the party’s Secretary General, Thanasis Bakolas. On Friday, Bakolas sent an email to the Presidium members in which he accuses party leader Weber of unlawful behavior. Weber had given Tom Vandenkendelaere, a former Belgian MEP, a post against the party statutes and made him „Chief of Staff“. Bakolas explained in the email that he had to dismiss Vandenkendelaere because of the breach of law. Bakolas is also said to have used the email to send Vandenkendelaere’s employment contract and to have distributed the content of private text messages.