Stockholm (AINA) -- Two Swedish-Assyrians have been chosen by their parties to run for seats in the European parliament. Isak Betsimon from the Swedish green party Miljopartiet and Robert Hanna from the liberal party Folkpartiet have both announced their candidacy.

Standing seventh on his party's list of candidates, Robert Hanna will need to win five percent of the total votes for Folkpartiet and more votes than the second most popular candidate on the list in order to win a seat at the EU parliament. Isak Betsimon faces similar hurdles with his 32nd position on the list of candidates of his party.

In addition to offering the two politicians of Assyrian background a real chance to reach the highest elected institution in Europe, the election, which will be held May 25, will serve as an indication of their popularity and position them more favorably for future elections.

The two politicians were both born in Sweden to Assyrian parents and are active in the Assyrian community in which they have many potential supporters.

Robert Hanna is also running for a seat in the Swedish parliament later this year. Observers expect that he will win the seat as he only needs a few hundred votes.