European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
President of the European Parliament
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
What does the EU do?
It’s a common question. That can be answered in a mind-boggling range of ways. After all, the EU is huge. But does this necessarily mean it is distant, over-complicated and irrelevant to you and your life? Continue reading
Tables rondes à Niamey : Numérique, eau et agriculture, et énergies renouvelables
Le Président du Parlement européen se rendra au Niger les 17 et 18 juillet. Une nouveauté totale pour ce genre de déplacement : il a tenu à ce que sa visite comporte un important volet dédié à la recherche et que s’engagent un dialogue et une réflexion sur les expériences de l’Europe, les expériences du Niger, les enjeux et les défis communs, les réponses possibles. Autour de trois tables-rondes, les chercheurs et experts de haut niveau d’Europe et d’Afrique vont échanger leurs expériences sur la transformation numérique, l’agriculture et la gestion de l’eau, et les énergies renouvelables. Continue reading
The European Council in 2017: Overview of decisions and discussions
For the first year in almost a decade, the European Council was not in crisis mode in 2017. Throughout the year, the political and economic situation in the European Union (EU) improved markedly. Continue reading
Electing the European Parliament’s President [Plenary Podcast]
Written by Silvia Kotanidis, At the January plenary sitting, the European Parliament (EP) is due to elect its 30th President, to hold the office until the next European parliamentary elections, due in 2019. The President has an important and increasingly visible function in the EU institutional and international setting, mirroring the influential role of the … 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
To write a book of Memoirs / Escribir un libro de Memorias
By former president of the EP Enrique Barón Crespo Writing one’s Memoirs, telling a story in the first person, has both advantages and risks. How to ensure a balance between recounting your own role and a true narration of experiencing important events first-hand? In my introduction, I define what drives me: “In my public life prevail … Continue reading
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