Elections européennes, mode d'emploi

Europa - eine Gebrauchsanweisung

A User’s Guide to the European Elections

Elecciones europeas: instrucciones de uso

Wybory europejskie: instrukcja obsługi

Elezioni europee: istruzioni per l'uso

How does voting work across all 27 Member States? What exactly does an MEP do? And what role does the European Parliament play anyway? We compiled a user manual to answer all your questions ahead of the elections, set to take place from the 6th to the 9th of June.

From adopting and amending legislative proposals to deciding on the EU budget, the powers of European Parliament are wide-ranging. The MEPs elected for five-year terms partake in key forums for debate and decision-making, but also play a supervisory role over other European institutions.

A legislative, budgetary and supervisory institution at once – the European Parliament plays a fundamental role.

What is the role of the European Parliament?

Between drafting fresh European legislation in Brussels, voting on those laws in Strasbourg and working in their own national constituencies, MEPs have a busy schedule. They juggle various duties that are aimed at representing the interests of their fellow citizens. But what does that mean, exactly?

Serving five-year terms, MEPs help shape future European laws.

What are MEPs for?

To determine who the next President of the European Commission will be, the “Spitzenkandidaten” process is used. Mirroring national elections, political groups in the European Parliament appoint lead candidates who all compete for the position. The leader of the group most capable of marshalling enough parliamentary support typically goes on to become head of the Commission. But as the process isn’t legally binding, it is not always respected.

Also known as the lead candidate process, it is mainly used to nominate the next President of the European Commission.

What is the “Spitzenkandidaten”?

With seven political groups, the European Parliament is a jungle of acronyms. There’s the EPP, the S&D, the Greens/EFA, ID and Renew Europe, to name a few. These groups are formed based on ideology rather than nationality, and often manage to forge alliances across the political divide.

There are 705 MEPs and only seven political groups. But what does that mean, exactly?

What political groups can MEPs join?

What do Roberta Metsola, Martin Schulz and Simone Veil all have in common? All three have been President of the European Parliament. Ruling over the legislative body of the EU, the president orchestrates its agenda and guides the formulation of its policies.

There are 705 MEPs, but only one president to rule over the European Parliament. What is their role?

Who rules the European Parliament?

More than 400 million citizens are scheduled to cast their ballots from the 6th to the 9th of June 2024. Each EU country will choose a specific date within this period and set out its own voting deadlines. The event is held every five years, but how exactly does it work? And who is eligible to vote?  

From the 6th to the 9th of June, European citizens will vote for their MEPs. Here are some key things to remember.