About: European elections Archives

As EU leaders gather today (17 March) for yet another summit, trying to fix the migrant crisis, successive elections in member countries have dwarfed the largest political force in the EU following the 2014 European elections.

The European Peoples’ Party, who is the largest in the European Parliament with 251 MEPs out of the total of 751, is now the third force, by the number of its heads of state and government sitting at the summits. The most influential leader of the EPP is without any doubt the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The Socialists and Democrats, who have 190 MEPs, are now the number one force at summits.

But perhaps more surprisingly, the liberals, who have only 70 MEPs in the European Parliament and are the fourth largest political group there, are now the second largest force at EU summits.

Calls have been made for the structure of the European elections to be altered. But the ramifications of such a move could have a huge impact on EU politics, writes Nicholas Whyte.

Only MEPs from the EPP, the Socialists & Democrats, and ALDE have voted in favour of making the next European elections more “European”, according to a study published by VoteWatch Europe yesterday (12 November).

Fabian Willermain argues that turning the Commission into an elected and accountable European government would both legitimise the institution in the eyes of the citizens and take some powers out of the executive’s hands.

One year after Jean-Claude Juncker was elected, the Parliament is undergoing a radical change, says Michael Kaeding, who believes that Juncker’s leadership style is giving MEPs new political power.

Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s National Front, will today (16 June) announce the creation of Europe of Nations and Freedoms, a new far-right European Parliament group that will qualify for up to €17.5 million of EU money over the next four years.

Now is the time to start the debate on how to better organise the 2019 European primary elections and Spitzenkandidaten system, especially in light of the forthcoming European political party congresses later this year, argue Dan Luca and Dominique Ostyn.

The meteoric rise of the French National Front in the 2014 elections has further undermined France's ailing influence in the European Parliament, according to a report by the Schuman Foundation. The French positions in the Council and the Commission have not deteriorated to the same extent. EURACTIV France reports. 

Slovenian police raided the home of ex-prime minister Alenka Bratušek yesterday (11 March) in search of evidence that she might have abused her position when her cabinet nominated her last year as a candidate for European commissioner.

If the European Union lacks somewhat in terms of popular legitimacy, the electoral procedure of the European Parliament must have something to do with it. Fortunately, Parliament is itself responsible for initiating electoral reform, although like all parliaments it must overcome the vested interests of serving deputies that provide an in-built bias towards the status quo, writes Andrew Duff.

In a vote widely expected, MEPs have re-elected Martin Schulz as president of the European Parliament, but with the large number of eurosceptic voices in the new assembly, the German socialist will need to refine his strategic leadership.

The Spanish government wants to have an important portfolio in the next European Commission. Although it seemed that candidate commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete would aim at Agriculture, because of his background, it is also possible that he or another candidate would take an economic portfolio. EURACTIV Spain reports.

A former French National Front MEP has joined Nigel Farage’s Europe of Freedom and Democracy group in the European Parliament, which now has enough support to re-form.

The ALDE Group of Liberals was tonight (17 June) joined by 12 MEPs from four parties, making it the third largest group in the European Parliament with 67 seats.

King Philippe of Belgium has given the Flemish separatist, Bart De Wever, more time to set up a federal government. Local coalitions are well under way, but common ground at a federal level will be difficult to find. EURACTIV France reports.

The identity of the next European Commission President is still unknown, but two think thanks have come together to analyse what will make the next President stand out from the rest and secure the job. EURACTIV France reports.

As debates for the choice of a European Commission president start, Tom Parker from Cambre Associates argues that leaders should appoint a woman to address the “democratic deficit” of the EU and show its commitment to fundamental rights.

Thirty-eight of Poland’s 51 seats in the European Parliament will go to the right side of the political spectrum, equally split between pro-EU and Eurosceptic forces. Less than a quarter of voters participated in the European elections. EURACTIV Poland reports.

Party leaders focused on France instead of the EU during France’s final televised debate before the European elections (25 May). Immigration took centre stage. EURACTIV France reports.

EXCLUSIVE / The French company assigned to distribute election literature for the European elections has been “overwhelmed”, leading to delays and the wrong programmes for the National Front. EURACTIV France reports.

Louis de Gouyon Matignon is a young French candidate in the EU elections and a self-proclaimed advocate of Roma and Traveller rights. He is profiled in the third part of a series looking at the French election candidates, by EURACTIV France.

Laure Ferrari, EU election candidate for the far-right party Arise the Republic (Debout la République), entered politics after an unexpected encounter with Nigel Farage, the firebrand eurosceptic Briton. She is profiled in the third part of a series looking at the French election candidates, by EURACTIV France.

The Far-right National Front, which leads EU election polls in France and could send 16 MEPs to the European Parliament, is eyeing a vice-president role in the EU assembly. EURACTIV France reports.

In an op-ed for EURACTIV, Jacques Delors and António Vitorino go back over the EU's struggles of the past five years - including the euro crisis and Russia - and chart the way forward for the next Commission and Parliament.