In the recent European Parliament elections, right-wing and far-right parties gained ground while left-leaning and liberal parties faced losses.
Shift in European Parliament Election, EPP Leads as Right-Wing Support Surges
- Major Political Groups: Members of European Parliament align with Europe-wide political groups based on shared ideological beliefs.
- Major groups include the European People’s Party (EPP), Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Renew Europe, Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA), European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), Identity and Democracy (ID), and the Left Group (GUE/NGL).
- Recent Elections: In the latest elections, although the EPP remained the largest group, there was a notable rise in support for right-wing and far-right parties.
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is the only directly elected body of the EU, representing the citizens of its member states.
- Functions: Its primary functions include negotiating EU laws with the member state governments, which are represented by the European Council.
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European Council
- About: The European Council sets the EU’s political direction and priorities.
- Members: It includes the heads of state or government from member countries, the Presidents of the European Council and European Commission, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs.
- Founding: Established as an informal summit in 1975, it became an official institution with the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009.
- Consensus: Decisions are made by consensus.
European Union
- About: The European Union (EU) is a political and economic alliance comprising 27 member states primarily situated in Europe.
- Aim: Formed under the Maastricht Treaty, which took effect on November 1, 1993, the EU aims to foster cooperation and integration among its members to bolster economic and political stability across Europe.
- Functioning: The EU operates with its own currency, the Euro, adopted by 19 member states, and maintains a unified market facilitating free movement of goods, services, and capital.
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- The EP also approves the EU budget and votes on international agreements and enlargements of the bloc.
- Powers: The EP also approves the EU budget and votes on international agreements and enlargements of the bloc.
- It also has the power to approve or reject the appointment of the European Commission president
- Unlike national parliaments, the EP does not have the right to propose laws but can only negotiate those proposed by the executive European Commission.
- Structure: The EP comprises 720 Members (MEPs) elected every five years. The MEPs then elect their president for a term of two and a half years.
- MEP Allocation: The number of MEPs elected from each EU country is agreed upon before each election and is based on the principle of degressive proportionality, which means each MEP from a larger country represents more people than an MEP from a smaller country.
- The minimum number of MEPs from any country is six, and the maximum number is 96.
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June 13, 2024