The EU Elections Explained and the Results

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The European Parliament

by Mustang

The European Parliament, the world’s only directly elected transnational assembly, is a powerful entity.  Its members, elected by the citizens of the European Union, represent their interests.  Together with representatives of the governments of EU member countries, they shape and approve the laws that influence all aspects of life across the European Union—issues from the economy to mutual security. 

The European Parliament also plays a crucial role in the election and accountability of the President of the European Commission and commissioners, approving the spending plan for the European Union.  European elections are held every five years.

While each European Union member state is free to conduct its election, some rules apply to each member state.  (1) Elections occur over four days, from Thursday to Sunday.  (2) The number of MEPs elected from a political party is proportional to the number of votes it receives.  (3) EU citizens who reside in another EU country can vote and stand for election in their country of residence.  (4) Citizens can only vote once in an election.

In 2024, 720 MEPs are elected (15 more than in previous elections).  The number of MEPs is decided before each election.  At most, the number of MEPs can be 750 (plus the president).  The number of MEPs chosen from each country varies.  For example, Germany elects 96 members of the European Parliament, France 81, Italy 76, Spain 61 — and so forth.  The countries with the least members of the European Parliament, six, are Cyprus, Luxembourg, and Malta.

National political parties contest elections, but once MEPs are elected and take their seat in the European Parliament, most become part of a transnational political party.  Currently, there are seven political parties in the European Parliament.

Elections involving the European Union are separate from national polls.

The European Commission

The European Commission consists of 27 members (one from each EU country), led by the Commission President, who decides who is responsible for which policy area.

The president of the European Commission (also known as the presiding officer or commissioner of the College of Commissioners, is the head of the European Commission.  The European Commission is also known as the College of the European Union and the European Union Cabinet.

The president is empowered to allocate portfolios among, reshuffle, or dismiss commissioners as necessary or desirable.  The college directs the commission’s civil service, sets the policy agenda, and determines the European Parliament’s legislative agenda.  The commission is the only body that can propose bills to become EU Laws.

The president is nominated by the European Council and elected by the European Parliament for a renewable five-year term.

The commission’s president also delivers an annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament.

The European Commission (EC) is the European Union’s politically independent executive arm.  It is the sole European institution that submits laws for adoption by the Parliament and Council to protect the EU’s and its citizens’ interests on issues that cannot be effectively dealt with nationally.

The Commission also establishes spending priorities with the advice of the Council and Parliament, draws up annual budgets, and supervises how money is spent.  Along with the Court of Justice, the Commission ensures that EU law is correctly applied in all the member countries.

The Commission speaks on behalf of all EU countries in international bodies, particularly in trade policy and humanitarian aid, and negotiates international agreements for the European Union.

National Elections

Each European country determines its national political scheme.

Example: In France, voters elect their president, legislature, and, at times, various referenda.  French citizens choose the French president every five years.  The parliament has two chambers: the National Assembly and the Senate.  The National Assembly (577 members) is elected for a five-year term, and the Senate (328 members) is chosen by an electoral college representing 96 departments, eight dependencies, and 12 seats selected by the French Assembly of French Citizens Abroad.  Each European country determines its national political scheme.

Note: The European Commissioner for France is not the President of France.

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Mustang also has blogs called  Fix Bayonets and Searching History