João Cotrim de Figueiredo, of the Liberal Initiative, will compete with French MEP Valérie Heyer to lead the Liberal group in the European Parliament, Politico reported on Monday.

The MEP-elect is a candidate for president of the Renew Europe (Renew) party, known as the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), which represents the majority of Renew, but not its French members.

ALDE MEPs received an email on Sunday in which they learned of Joao Cotrime de Figueiredo's intention to challenge Haier, who was French President Emmanuel Macron's main candidate in the European elections for the powerful position he has held since January.

“We welcome your decision, support your candidacy, and encourage you, as ALDE party colleagues, to support your candidacy as well,” ALDE co-chairs Ilhan Kyuchyuk and Timmy Dooley wrote to POLITICO.

The Liberals are in free fall, having lost about 30 members compared to the outgoing parliament and falling from the third-largest group to the fourth-largest – instability in the group making Ursula von der Leyen's re-election bid for the presidency of the European Commission even more uncertain.