European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
European elections
Forty years of direct elections to the European Parliament
Between 23 and 26 May 2019, 350 million European Union (EU) citizens have the opportunity to vote for Members of the European Parliament. It will be the ninth time that EU citizens can vote directly for the policy- and decision-makers who will represent them in EU politics. Direct elections to the European Parliament are consequently one of the most important events in the EU political cycle. Continue reading
European Parliament Plenary Session – April II 2019
Unsurprisingly, the agenda for this final plenary session of Parliament’s 2014-2019 term will deal with a range of issues that are emblematic of the major themes that have marked this eighth legislature. Continue reading
European elections: voting rights for EU citizens living abroad
The European Parliament regularly receives enquiries from EU citizens living abroad about how to vote in the European elections. Continue reading
European elections: how to stand as a candidate
The European Parliament regularly receives enquiries from citizens about how to stand as a candidate in the European elections. Continue reading
European elections [What Think Tanks are Thinking]
Citizens of the European Union go the polls in May 2019 in elections to the European Parliament which many analysts say may be the most important ever. Commentators are currently focused on the prospective performance of anti-establishment parties and movements, many of which run on Eurosceptic platforms. Continue reading
EPRS Event: Europe’s challenges in 2019: Ten issues to watch
How can collective intelligence help tackle social inequalities? What is Europe’s role in the current trade wars? How can the EU27 move forward? These questions and many more were discussed during the EPRS roundtable discussion ‘Europe’s challenges in 2019’ following the publication of the third edition of the annual EPRS ‘Ten issues to watch’. After … Continue reading
European elections: common rules and national provisions
Citizens are asking what are the main common rules and national provisions for electing Members of the European Parliament. The procedures for electing Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are governed both by European Union (EU) legislation, which defines certain rules common to all Member States, and by provisions specific to each Member State. Continue reading
2019 European elections: National rules
This Infographic contains up-to-date information on key data concerning the forthcoming European elections (to be held in 2019). In a one-page format, readers can find information of the Election day, the voting systems adopted at Member States’ level, as well as on rules governing eligibility and allocation of seats. Most importantly, the infographic takes into account the re-distribution of seats following on the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU, and the overall reduction of total number of seats to 705. Further, more in-depth analysis is available on the second page of the infographic. Continue reading
European elections [Ten issues to watch in 2018]
The next European elections – for the ninth elected term – will be held in May/June 2019. But the European Parliament elections struggle to be truly ‘European’ rather than ‘national’ in both form and substance. Continue reading
European elections: Past and Future
Written by Richard Freedman, In the opening remarks of the roundtable discussion on the European elections: past and future, held in the Brussels Library Reading Room, Vice-President of the European Parliament Mairead McGuinness touched on the fact that citizens wanted a better definition of what was meant by ‘more Europe’. In fact, often what was … Continue reading
The Reform of the Electoral Law of the European Union: European Added Value Assessment accompanying the legislative own-initiative Report
Written by Monika Nogaj and Eva-Maria Poptcheva Although the Treaties foresee the possibility of a uniform electoral procedure, elections to the European Parliament are determined by national electoral rules, which differ considerably from one Member State to the next. The discrepancies in national procedures make for a very complex overall process of electing Members of … Continue reading
A year of change: the European Parliament in 2014
Written by Nicole Zandi Our role in the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) is to support parliamentary debate through ensuring Members are well-informed, in particular through our online and printed products. This year’s European election, and start of the eighth parliamentary term, has put us to the test. To mark the occasion the EPRS team … Continue reading
Historical Archives – 2014 at a glance
Written by Alexandra Devantier 2014 was an exciting year of rebranding and new visibility for the Historical Archives (formerly known as Archive and Documentation Centre, CARDOC), now part of the European Parliamentary Research Services. Through publications, events, exhibitions and info sessions we bring the fascinating world of our archives closer to all those willing to learn more about the … Continue reading
In Focus: EU institutions
Written by Nicole Zandi Since the European Parliament elections in May and the new Commission taking office in November; an atmosphere of change in the EU institutions has highlighted 2014 as an important year. So far we have seen widespread aspirations to create a more balanced, fairer and transparent EU, which is perhaps a good … Continue reading
European Parliament: Facts and Figures
Written by Giulio Sabbati, Updated on 5 April 2019 This Briefing, published by the European Parliamentary Research Service, is designed to provide key facts and figures about the European Parliament, both in the 2014 to 2019 parliamentary term now drawing to a close -and in the seven previous terms since direct elections were introduced in … Continue reading
L’élection de Simone Veil
Simone Veil et les 1ères élections directes du PE En juin 1979 pour la première fois les citoyens des neuf pays membres élisent au suffrage universel direct leurs députés européens. Le scrutin de liste nationale “à la proportionnelle” adopté en France est propice à l’intégration des femmes sur les listes proposées par les partis. Le … Continue reading
Direct European Elections : The history of the right to vote
With this 8th edition of the European elections in 2014, European Union citizens will once more have the opportunity to vote for their representatives in the European Parliament. The first EP elections took place in 1979, but the discussion on the importance of active participation of citizens of the Member States already began in the … Continue reading
Elections Week
It comes as no surprise that this week our blog will focus on the European elections. However, to take a slightly different angle on this hot topic, the EPRS Historical Archives have prepared a number of posts based on the elections of the past. The elections next week will be only the 8th since the … Continue reading
Topics and links − March 2014
How did the European Parliament react to the Russian invasion of Crimea? How can I vote in the upcoming European elections, even if I live abroad? Answers to these questions or other citizens’ concerns can be found by consulting our selection of links below. The following topics are based on questions and comments from citizens … Continue reading
Social media in election campaigning
Low engagement of citizens in politics and ever declining voter turnout are taken as evidence of a democratic deficit in the European Union. By providing a new form of communication among politicians and citizens, social media may provide a way of increasing citizen involvement in political life, especially during election campaigns. Social media allow political actors, particularly smaller … Continue reading
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