An estimated 50.93% of eligible citizens voted over the last weekend, slightly more than in 2019, the last EU Election. The vote decided the constitution of the European Parliament (EP), the only key EU institution that consists of directly elected representatives, for the next five years. The 2024-2029 EP consists of 720 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
The projections show that the biggest centre-right party, the European People’s Party remains the strongest group in the European Parliament with 186 seats, an increase of 10 compared to the last parliament. Alongside remaining the biggest group, they also gained the highest amount of new seats. The second largest group also remains the same: despite losing 4 seats, the centre-left Socialists & Democrats (S&D) will send 135 MEP-s. They are followed by Renew Europe, a collection of liberal and centrist parties, with 79 seats. Renew lost the most seats, 23, compared to 2019. This is primarily due to the low performance of party group’s key party, the Emanuel Macron-led “Renaissance”, which also led to the announcement of early elections in France this year. The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group is on track to be the fourth biggest grouping, sending 73 MEP-s (4 more than in the last parliament), from parties considered either soft eurosckeptic, right wing, or far right. The extreme right Identity and Democracy (ID) group secured 58 seats, increasing the number of their MEPs by 9, thus they overtook the European Greens (consisting of environmentalist parties) who, after losing 19 seats, will send 53 MEPs to the Parliament. The Left group of left-wing, socialist and communist parties is set to have 36 seats, one less than in the previous parliament. 45 MEP-s are expected to sit outside of party groupings, and 55 seats are not yet assigned to groupings, but likely will be (such as new parties). The complete provisional results, as well as the details can be accessed here.
The exact identities of MEP-s is not final yet, and the final formation of political groups is still in progress. According to the timeline, the new parliament will first meet on 16-19 July, at the constituent plenary meeting. The new President of the European Commission is expected to be elected by the parliament in before the end of September, and all new commissioners shall be in office by the end of the year.
