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,

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

The run-up to the 2019 European elections has been long and filled with projections, campaigning, debates and rallies - some more successful than others. After European citizens cast their votes between 23 and 26 May, it is now the time to take stock of the results and analyse their impact on the Parliament and the European Union as a whole. Key Takeaways 1. Highest turnout registered (51%) since 1979 2. Eurosceptic parties made gains, but less than expected 3. It’s the fir

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