By Athena Papakosta

Euro-polls opened on Thursday in the Netherlands with the process ending on Sunday at midnight, Greek time, when the polls in Italy close.

The mathematics of the European elections

The election of its members European Parliament is done by direct universal suffrage.

All 27 Member States of the European Union vote.

At least 373 million Europeans are called to elect their representatives among 200 parties.

The number of members of the European Parliament elected by each Member State depends on the size of the population. For example, Malta elects six MEPs. The same applies to Luxembourg and Cyprus, while Germany elects 96 MEPs.

In 2019, a total of 751 MEPs were elected. However, after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union in 2020, the total number of MEPs was reduced to 705. The 73 seats that belonged to the United Kingdom were redistributed to other Member States.

This year, an additional 15 members will be elected to the European Parliament, bringing the total number of MEPs to 720. In total, 12 Member States will count an additional 12 MEPs, but the European Parliament will count 31 fewer than in 2019.

In most EU countries, citizens over 18 have the right to vote, except in Greece (over 17), Germany, Belgium, Austria and Malta (over 16).

With an eye on participation

A question that has haunted the European Union since 1979, when the European elections began and European citizens went to the polls for the first time in the first direct election of the European Parliament. The lowest participation rate was recorded in 2014 and did not exceed 42.6%.

According to the latest Eurobarometer, interest in this year’s European elections has increased, with approximately 71% of Europeans declaring that they will vote for far-right parties, which are on the rise in the Old Continent.

The relevant debate has been open for months, after far-right parties have won the elections in Italy and the Netherlands, while in recent weeks in France the far-right is leading the opinion polls, as, respectively, also happens in Austria and Belgium.

And according to samples of the gallop, the far-right parties are expected to secure three out of every 10 votes and the far-right will manage to emerge as a powerful force within the European Parliament.

Main issues of concern to voters

The war in Ukraine, defense and security are top concerns for Europeans with the economy, employment and job creation, the fight against poverty and social exclusion, public health, climate change and the future of Europe to follow .

The political groups of the European Parliament

  • Parliamentary Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats)

Today it holds the most seats (176 out of 705) and this political group includes the current president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, claiming a second five-year term at the head of the Commission.

  • Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament

It is the second largest political group in the European Parliament with 139 seats.

  • Renew Europe Group

With 102 seats in the outgoing European Parliament, it is the third strongest political group. It was born out of the old Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and includes French President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party. Pollsters think he will record losses.

  • Group of Greeks / European Free Alliance

Fourth power with 72 seats. However, according to the opinion polls, he will suffer a certain blow from the far-right political groups.

  • Group of European Conservatives and Reformists

A far-right group that includes, among others – apart from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party, “Brothers of Italy” – Spain’s far-right party Vox, Poland’s far-right former ruling party Law and Justice, Riika Pura’s Finnish Finns, part of the Finnish government, but also Jimmy Akerson’s far-right Sweden Democrats who support the Swedish government in parliament, without participating in it. Today it has 68 seats.

  • Identity and Democracy Group

It is the toughest group of far-right parties in Europe which includes the National Rally of Marine Le Pen in France, the League of the North of the Italian Matteo Salvini, the Freedom Party of the Dutch Geert Wilders, the Austrian Freedom Party and the Flemish Vlaams Belang of Belgium. The far-right party “Alternative for Germany” (AfD) is now a thing of the past. It has 59 seats in the outgoing European Parliament.

· Group of the Left in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL

With 37 seats today, it is predicted to win an additional two in this year’s European elections.

The MEPs who do not belong to any political group in the European Parliament, the Non-Registered (NI), currently have 61 seats and according to opinion polls they are expected to increase them.

After the Euro elections

MEPs are invited to choose the president of the European Parliament at the first session of the Plenary from 16 to 19 July. Then, and possibly in September, after weeks of negotiations, they will nominate a president for the European Commission.

The current president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is considered the favorite and in order to remain in Berlemont, the seat of the Commission, for the next five years, she will need the support of at least 361 MPs and also the support of the qualified majority of the 27 leaders of the countries – members of the European Union.