The 751 newly-elected MEPs have had their debut in Strasbourg last week, where they attended the first plenary session of the 2019-2024 parliamentary legislature. This session, together with the upcoming one in the week starting on 15 July, have the main purpose of setting up the European Parliament and get it ready to work smoothly from September, after the summer recess. A core responsibility of the MEPs includes electing a European Parliament President, 14 Vice-Presidents,

So it is over. The marathon that was the European Council Extraordinary Summit to nominate the leaders of the European institutions wrapped up on 2 July in the afternoon - with some unexpected announcements for those kept on their tenterhooks throughout the entire process. Having been unable to agree on a leadership package which comprised of the Spitzenkandidaten, the heads of state and government of the EU Member States forged their own path. Donald Tusk told a fatigued pre

European Council President Donald Tusk was right last week to feel “more cautious than optimistic”, as European leaders could not unite behind a candidate to propose for the Presidency of the European Commission. Despite lengthy talks and negotiations, at 2am on Friday 21 June, President Tusk announced to a bleary eyed and caffeine weary European Union press corps the solemn words - “there was no majority for any candidate.” He went on to say that the European Council agreed

With the European elections only days away, speculation on who will lead the European institutions is increasing. Whilst the lead candidates for the Presidency of the European Commission and the candidates for the European Parliament are facing each other in debates across Europe, European heads of state and government met on 9 May in Sibiu, Romania, to set out a roadmap for the European Union’s future. The guide below offers you the perfect overview of the key events that ha

Ahead of the elections, the party groups sitting in the European Parliament announced who their pan-European lead candidate will be – the ‘Spitzenkandidat’, informally making them the face of their respective campaigns. The Spitzenkandidat whose party bloc can form a majority coalition and secure 378 seats within the European Parliament will (in the opinion of many MEPs) have the strongest mandate to become the next European Commission President. This process occurred in 2014

The European Parliament's approach to digital and cultural policy is set to be renewed with an influx of new MEPs and a shift in the balance of power of political groups. The headline is that whilst only a small number of influential MEPs on the outgoing Culture and Education (CULT), Legal Affairs (JURI) and the Industry and Research (ITRE) Committees are seeking re-election to the Parliament, those that are due to return are likely to play an integral role in shaping policy

The upcoming European Parliament elections (23-26 May) will be a defining moment for the European Union. Clearly there is no doubt that populist and far-right parties have strengthened their grip on national politics in Member States. Whether and to what extent this will be reflected in the composition of the new European Parliament remains to be seen. At the same time, processes such as Brexit also play a role in shaping the direction the European Union takes over the next 5