Some 373 million citizens in the 27 member states of the European Union are eligible to go to the polls on June 6-9 to choose their representatives in the European Parliament.

These are elections of critical importance as concerns about the rise of the extreme right in Europe intensify, a fact that is expected to be reflected in the composition of the next European Parliament.

What is the European Parliament?

The European Parliament (EP) is the only directly elected body of the EU, representing the citizens of its member states. Its main functions include negotiating EU legislation with member state governments, which are represented by the European Council. The EP also approves the EU budget and votes on the bloc’s international agreements and enlargements.

The EP has important oversight responsibilities, including the power to approve or reject the appointment of the president of the European Commission, a post currently held by Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen, and commissioners.

Unlike national parliaments, the EP does not have the right to propose laws, but can only negotiate those proposed by the European Commission.

The EP consists of 720 MEPs who are elected every five years. MEPs then elect their president for a two-and-a-half-year term. The outgoing president is from Malta, Roberta Metzola.

Who can vote?

In 21 Member States, people aged 18 and over can vote. In Belgium, Germany, Austria and Malta, the minimum age is 16. In Greece, those who turn 17 during the election year can vote, and in Hungary, married people can vote regardless of age.

EU citizens can vote in their home country or from abroad. Voting from abroad is allowed in all Member States except the Czech Republic, Ireland, Malta and Slovakia. In Bulgaria and Italy this right only applies to those living within the EU.

Citizens living in another EU country can choose to vote for candidates from either their country of origin or their country of residence.

The voter must choose which country’s MEPs to vote for, but it is not legal to vote in both countries at the same time.

How the vote is conducted

In some Member States, voters can only choose closed lists that do not allow a change of order for preferred candidates, while in others they can choose individual candidates in a preferential system.

Depending on national law, some overseas voters may vote at their national embassies, by post or online.

Who can apply?

Voters can choose from individual candidates or representatives of political parties, depending on the country. Once elected, MEPs from each state will join the European Parliament groups, based on their political orientation.

Some Member States, including Germany, allow standing in European elections only for candidates of political parties or political coalitions.

Elected MEPs cannot serve in national governments or other political bodies, such as the EU Commission, the Court of Justice or the Court of Auditors, among others. All applicants must be EU citizens.

2024 election prediction

Six out of 10 EU citizens will participate in these elections, according to a survey by the Union’s statistical office, Eurostat, in April.

A Europe Elects poll at the end of May predicts that of the 720 seats in the EP, the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) Group will win 180 seats, the centre-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) 138, and the liberal, centrist , Renew Europe (RE) 86.

For the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), the poll predicts that they will take 75 seats while for the Identity and Democracy Party (ID) they are expected to fall to 68 from 84, after the expulsion of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Other smaller parties are predicted to win the remaining 173 seats, according to data from Europe Elects.

Election results 2019

The previous elections marked a pivotal shift in politics, as the EU’s traditional centre-right and centre-left lost ground to smaller parties.

The EPP and the centre-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) took a total of 76 fewer seats.
This made imperative the need for wider coalition building, strengthening centrist and pro-European groups such as Renew Europe and the Greens/EFA.

Voter turnout hit a 20-year high of 50.66%, an 8% increase from 2014, indicating increased public interest in issues such as climate change, immigration and economic inequality.