What’s at stake in this week’s European Parliament elections?
Elections are held every five years in the 27-member EU bloc. This year marks the 10th parliamentary election since the first one in 1979 and the first since Brexit.
Nearly 400 million EU citizens are electing members of the European Parliament in one of the largest global democratic events. File | Photo credit: AP
In the coming days, nearly 400 million EU citizens can vote to elect members of the European Parliament, or MEPs, in one of the largest global democratic events.
Right-wing parties are trying to gain more power amid rising costs of living and peasant discontent, while the wars in Gaza and Ukraine remain on voters’ minds. The biggest question is whether European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will remain in charge as the public face of the EU.
Here’s a look at the election and the biggest issues at stake:
Voters
Elections are held every five years in the 27-member EU bloc. This year marks the 10th parliamentary election since the first one in 1979 and the first since Brexit.
Voting will take place from June 6 to 9. Preliminary results will be announced only on the evening of June 9, when polling stations in all member countries will close. Voting is carried out by direct universal suffrage in a single ballot.
The number of members elected in each country depends on the size of the population. It ranges from six for Malta, Luxembourg and Cyprus to 96 for Germany. In 2019, Europeans elected 751 MPs. Following the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU in 2020, the number of MEPs decreased to 705, with some of the 73 seats previously held by British MEPs redistributed to other member states.
After the election, the European Parliament will have 15 additional members, taking the total number of members to 720. Twelve countries will get additional MEPs.
National political parties contest elections, but once elected, most MPs join international political groups.
Some countries allow people under the age of 18 to vote. In Belgium, a law passed in 2022 lowered the minimum voting age to 16. Germany, Malta and Austria allow 16-year-olds to vote. In Greece, the lowest voting age is 17. It is 18 in all other member states. There is also a minimum age requirement to contest elections – ranging from 18 in most countries to 25 in Italy and Greece.
Competitors
EU elections don’t usually have very high turnouts, but the 2019 election saw a surge in interest. The 50.7% turnout was eight points higher than in 2014, while it peaked at 62% in 1979 and has been falling steadily since.
The latest edition of the European Parliament’s Eurobarometer in April highlighted growing interest in the upcoming election. Around 71% of Europeans said they were likely to vote.
the issues
Russia’s full-blown invasion of Ukraine is at the forefront of citizens’ minds, with defence and security being seen as key campaign issues. At national level, the defence and security of the EU was mentioned first in nine countries. The economy, jobs, poverty and social exclusion, public health, climate change and the future of Europe also figure prominently as issues.
The European Parliament is the only institution of the European Union that is elected by European citizens. It is the de facto counterpower to the powerful EU executive branch, the European Commission.
The parliament does not have the right to legislate, but its powers are expanding. It is now competent on a wide range of topics, voting on laws relating to climate, banking regulations, agriculture, fisheries, security or justice. The legislature also votes on the EU budget, which is crucial for the implementation of European policies, for example, aid to Ukraine.
Lawmakers are also a crucial element of the checks and balances system as they are required to approve the nomination of all EU commissioners, who are the equivalent of ministers. It can also force the entire commission to resign with a two-thirds majority.
The centre-right European People’s Party is the largest political group in the European Parliament, with 176 out of 705 seats as of the end of the last plenary session in April. Ms von der Leyen is from the EPP and hopes to remain at the helm of the EU’s executive branch after the election.
The second-largest group is the S&D, the political group of the centre-left Party of European Socialists, which currently holds 139 seats. The pro-business Liberals and pro-Europe Renew group have 102 seats, while a coalition made up of Green and regional political parties holds 72 seats.
Two groups of far-right parties, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and Identity and Democracy (ID), may be on their way to becoming the third and fourth largest political groups in the European Parliament. The two groups have many differences and it is unclear to what extent they can come together to influence the EU agenda, especially the EU’s efforts to support Ukraine against Russia in the war.
The EPP and S&D are expected to remain stable. The pro-business Liberals and Greens could suffer a setback after making big gains in the last election. Once the weight of each political force is determined, MEPs will elect their president at the first plenary session from July 16-19. Then, possibly in September after weeks of negotiations, they will nominate the president of the European Commission following a proposal made by member states.
In 2019, Ms von der Leyen won a narrow majority (383 votes in favour, 327 against, 22 abstentions) and became the first woman to head the institution. MPs will also have to hear from the European commissioners before approving them by a single vote.
Ms von der Leyen has a good chance of being appointed to another term, but she must secure the support of enough politicians. She has also angered many MPs by suggesting she could work with the far-right, depending on the election result.
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