The EU Elections—What are They, and How do They Work?
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Written by Andrew Liu From May 23 to May 26, 2019, over 400 million eligible EU voters from 28 countries headed to polls to vote for the 2019 European Parliament elections. The 751 members of European Parliament elected by the voters will shape the future of the EU and will also have a large impact on the rest of the world. |
What is the European Parliament? There are three legislative institutions in the European Union: the European Parliament, the European Council, and the Council of the European Union. The European Parliament is the EU’s law-making body, and is intended to represent the voices of citizens beyond just their home nation. It's main functions include passing EU laws and establishing the EU budget. It also has the important job of electing the President of the European Commission and appointing the members of the European Commision, who propose EU laws and manage the EU’s day-to-day activities. The European Parliament is the only institution of the EU that is directly elected by EU citizens, and elections for the members of Parliament are held every five years. The European Parliament is comprised of 751 members who represent the different nations in the EU. The number seats in Parliament for each country is proportional to its population. For example, Germany, with a population of 82 million, has 96 seats in Parliament. Latvia, who has a population of 2 million, only has 8 seats. Members of European Parliament do not usually sit with other members from their nation, but with other like-minded politicians with similar ideals and policies. The largest political groups in Parliament have traditionally been the European People’s Party (EPP) and the Party of European Socialists (PES). How does the election process work? There is no standard procedure for electing MEPs (members of parliament), so countries in the EU are free to choose how their MEPs are elected, albeit under a few restrictions—namely that nations must elect their MEPs using a proportional system, which ensures that all voters will receive some sort of representation. How will Brexit affect the EU elections? In 2016, the UK held a referendum in which the people voted to leave the EU. As such, the UK was not expected to hold elections for the 2019 EU elections. In fact, the UK was actually supposed to leave the UK on March 29, 2019. However, the UK was given a six month extension to leave the EU, which allowed the UK to hold elections for 73 new British MEPs to enter EU Parliament. It is not yet clear how long the new British MEPs will serve in Parliament. It could be days, weeks, months, or even until the next EU elections in 2024. Surprisingly, Britain’s Brexit Party—yes, that’s really a thing—is gaining a lot of support. According to a recent poll, the Brexit Party has even more support in the EU elections than Britain’s next two largest parties combined and has become the largest single European political party in Parliament. The Brexit Party wishes to withdraw the UK from the EU as fast as possible. |
What direction will the EU take under the new Parliament?
The new EU Parliament is more divided than ever. EU citizens want a change, and the numbers reflect that—the 2019 EU elections had the highest voter turnout rates in decades. Not only that, but the center-left and center-right political parties have lost their absolute majorities in Parliament for the first time ever. Support instead went to the pro-environment and pro-Europe (want the EU to have more power and be more connected) parties, with the Green Party being the largest. The Greens will take roughly 70 seats, giving them significant influence in Parliament. This will likely lead to an increase in pro-environmental policies. The Greens have also been heavy advocators for pro-immigrant and pro-Europe policies, so that may also have an affect on Parliament’s future decisions. The far right also garnered much support, with Italy’s Lega Party and France’s National Rally being the largest of them. The far right parties want to weaken the EU’s power and increase their own national governments’ power in their own countries. Final thoughts The 2019 European Parliamentary Elections have been the most polarizing EU elections in decades, and have resulted in significant power shifts in the new Parliament. With so many factors at play, it is hard to definitively say what this could mean for the future. With over half a billion people under its sphere of influence, the composition of the new Parliament could lead to significant changes for both the EU and the world. |
Works cited
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- Anonymous. “European Parliament.” European Union, 20 May 2019, europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/institutions-bodies/european-parliament_en.
- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “European Parliament.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 3 May 2017, www.britannica.com/topic/European-Parliament.
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- European Greens. “Organisation.” European Greens, europeangreens.eu/organisation.
- “Full List | MEPs | European Parliament.” Full List | MEPs | European Parliament, www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/full-list/all.
- “How European Elections Work.” How European Elections Work, www.european-elections.eu/how-elections-work.
- Kirby, Jen. “The ‘Green Wave’ and 4 Other Takeaways from the European Parliamentary Elections.” Vox, Vox, 28 May 2019, www.vox.com/2019/5/28/18642498/european-parliament-elections-2019-takeaways-greens-salvini-brexit-eu.
- “Our Values.” ALDE Party, www.aldeparty.eu/values.