The 2024 European Parliament elections are set to take place from June 6 to 9, with approximately 373 million citizens from the 27 EU member states eligible to vote.
The European Parliament (EP) is the legislative branch of the European Union and the only one directly elected by the people of the member states. It acts as one of the main legislative decision-making bodies alongside the European Council.
The EP negotiates on EU laws with the member state governments represented by the European Council. It also approves the EU budget and votes on international agreements and enlargements.
One of the crucial roles of the European Parliament is oversight, including the power to approve or reject the appointment of the President and members of the European Commission (the EU executive body). The current President of the European Commission is Ursula von der Leyen from Germany.
Unlike national parliaments, the European Parliament cannot propose laws but can only negotiate on legislation presented by the European Commission.
Comprising 720 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), the European Parliament holds elections every five years. The elected MEPs then choose a President with a term of two and a half years. The outgoing President is Roberta Metsola from Malta.
In 21 member states, individuals aged 18 and above are eligible to vote. In countries like Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Malta, the minimum voting age is 16; while in Greece, those who turn 17 during an election year are allowed to vote. In Hungary, married individuals, regardless of age, have the right to vote.
EU citizens can vote either in their home country or overseas. Except for the Czech Republic, Ireland, Malta, and Slovakia, all member states allow voting from abroad. In Bulgaria and Italy, this right is restricted to those residing within the EU.
Citizens residing in another EU country can choose to vote for candidates either in their home country or the country they reside in.
Voters must select which country’s MEPs to vote for, and it is illegal to vote in two countries simultaneously.
In some member states, voters are limited to closed lists of candidates with no ability to change the order of preferred candidates. Conversely, in other member states, voters can select candidates through a preferential voting system.
According to national laws, overseas voters in some countries can cast their votes through mail or electronic means at their embassies.
Voters can choose between individual candidate or party representation. Once elected, politicians from each country align with a European group in the Parliament based on their political inclinations.
Some member countries, including Germany, only allow nominations from political parties or groups to participate in European elections.
Elected MEPs are prohibited from holding positions in national governments or other political institutions (such as the European Commission, courts, or audit institutions). All candidates must be citizens of an EU country.
A survey conducted by the EU statistical agency Eurostat in April revealed that 60% of EU citizens are interested in participating in the upcoming elections.
Based on projections by the polling aggregation firm “Europe Elects” at the end of May, out of the current 720 seats in the European Parliament, the center-right European People’s Party (EPP) is expected to secure 180 seats, while the center-left Socialists & Democrats (S&D) are predicted to win 138 seats, and the liberal centrist Renew Europe (RE) to claim 86 seats.
Following the expulsion of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party due to infiltration by Communist spies, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) are projected to have 75 seats, and the Identity and Democracy (ID) from Germany would decrease from 84 to 68 seats. The data from “Europe Elects” suggests that other smaller parties will secure the remaining 173 seats.
The previous election marked a significant political shift as traditional center-right and center-left groups lost ground to smaller parties.
The total seats of the European People’s Party and the Socialists & Democrats decreased by 76, losing their long-standing majority.