The question mark should be replaced with
CHP
This is the list of
the presidents of the European Parliament, given by their initials:
1958-1960 JBNRS = Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman
1960-1962 HF = Hans Furler
1962-1964 GM = Gaetano Martino
1964-1965 JPD = Jean Pierre Duvieusart
1965-1966 VL = Victor Leemans
1966-1969 AELMP = Alain Émile Louis Marie Poher
1969-1971 MS = Mario Scelba
1971-1973 WB = Walter Behrendt
1973-1975 CB = Cornelis Berkhouwer
1975-1977 GS = Georges Spénale
1977-1979 EC = Emilio Colombo
1979-1982 SV = Simone Veil
1982-1984 PD = Piet Dankert
1984-1987 PEJP = Pierre Eugène Jean Pflimlin
1987-1989 CHP = Charles Henry Plumb
As for the hints:
Hint 1: I don't really get the wordplay. Maybe "a
I don't really get the wordplay. Maybe "a loss" because every one in the list is dead???"is a loss" because every one in the list is dead???the anagram of Sassoli, the current president (thanks user39583)
Hint 2: PHCS (Paul-Henri Charles Spaak) was the president of the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community which predates the European Community. The EEC started in 1958 with Robert Schuman (JBNRS) as first president.
