[38], Each Member State has different rules determining who can vote for and run as the European Parliamentary candidates. [13] MEPs that are not members of groups are known as non-inscrits. 1, pp. Η παρ. The Presidency of the Council is shared by the member states on a rotating basis. These two institutions take the final decision on all EU laws. Dictator. These two institutions debate, amend and pass EU law. Bulgarian citizen who has attained the age of 21 years by polling day, does not hold the citizenship of any State that is not a Member State of the European Union, is not interdicted, does not serve a custodial sentence, has a permanent address in the Republic of Bulgaria, and has resided in the Republic of Bulgaria or in another Member State of the European Union at least during the last six months. The citizens of Greece and Greeks who have reached their seventeenth (17th) year of age have the right to vote.», Type of election in which the citizens of a Member State of the European Union elect the delegations of Members of the European Parliament, Percentage turnout of registered voters in previous elections, European Parliament election, 1979 - Statistics, European Parliament election, 1984 - Statistics, European Parliament election, 1989 - Statistics, European Parliament election, 1994 - Statistics, European Parliament election, 1999 - Statistics, European Parliament election, 2004 - Statistics, European Parliament election, 1979 - Delegation at 17 July 1979, European Parliament election, 1984 - Delegation at 23 July 1984, European Parliament election, 1989 - Delegation at 25 July 1989, European Parliament election, 1994 - Delegation at 19 July 1994, European Parliament election, 1999 - Delegation at 20 July 1999, European Parliament election, 2004 - Delegation at 20 July 2004. Therefore, following the victory of the European People's Party in the 2014 EP election, its lead candidate Jean-Claude Juncker was elected President of the European Commission. [36], In February 2008, President Barroso admitted there was a problem in legitimacy and that, despite having the same legitimacy as Prime Ministers in theory, in practice it was not the case. Framework for the Analysis of European Election Results’. They are also appointed for 5 years after having been proposed by their government and approved by the European Parliament. In Spain v United Kingdom, the European Court of Justice held that member states are permitted to extend the franchise to non-EU citizens.[39]. The Labour shadow minister responded by saying that Labour has pledged that every EU citizen living in the United Kingdom on Brexit day will automatically gain all the rights of a “citizen”. The last European elections were held in spring 2019.The next ones will be held in 2024. Second, the European Parliament is composed of representatives—known as members of the European Parliament, or MEPs—who are directly elected by the citizens of each EU member state. EU citizens are then eligible to vote for the duration of their stay in that country. The day-to-day work of the Commission is carried out by its administrative staff, experts, translators, interpreters and assistants. The European Commission is made up of 27 members — one president and 26 commissioners (including the vice-presidents). The Parliament is directly elected by EU citizens every five years. The electoral area may be subdivided if this will not generally affect the proportional nature of the electoral system. Elections to the European Parliament in 2019 were held between 23 and 26 May 2019. A region with high turnout will result in more votes for the parties there, which will result in a greater number of MEPs elected for that region.[10]. EU citizens are allowed to vote in local elections on most issues, but not for mayors. In the Council, the ministers from all EU countries meet to discuss EU matters and take decisions on EU policies and laws. It has 751 MEPs but this number will be reduced, because of Brexit, to 705. The 2019 election, however, saw turnout increase to its highest level since 1994, at 51%. European Union citizens aged 18 or over on polling day who are recorded in the register kept by the Municipal Council of their municipality of residence (. This is the job of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union. In these elections, EU citizens choose who will represent their interests in the European Parliament. European Union citizens who are entitled to vote, registered with and entered into the voting register in Finland and not lost the right to stand as a candidate in elections in his/her home state. What happened? You can visit the EU institutions, including the European Parliament, the Council, the European Council and the European Commission. The Socialists, disappointed at the 2009 election, agreed to put forward a candidate for Commission President at all subsequent elections. European Union citizens aged 25 or over on polling day and not deprived of the right to stand in their home country. (automatically listed in the electoral register). However, the comparison with the US voter turnout is hampered due to the fact that the US President is elected in separate and direct elections (presidential system), whereas the President of the European Commission is elected by the European Parliament (parliamentary system), giving the European Parliament elections considerable weight. Commissioners do not represent the views of their country of origin but rather the common interest of the EU. EU Elections (Europawahlen) Take place every five years. European Journal of Secondly, by voting in the European Parliament elections: the European Parliament plays an equally important role in EU lawmaking and your vote will help determine the European Parliament's position on proposed laws. More about the 2019 European elections results That may sound like a lot, but it is in fact fewer than the number of staff employed by most large city councils in Europe. But there are opportunities for direct citizen involvement in EU matters. The Council of the EU then has to approve legislation for it to become law. It shares power over the EU budget and legislation with the Council of the European Union. [31] However the fractious nature of the other political parties led to no other candidates, the People's Party only mentioned four or five people they'd like to be President. European Union citizens aged 21 or over on polling day who speak French, Dutch or German. In this case, the Commission or another EU country can bring the matter before the Court. Citizens … In addition, the method of calculating the quota and the election threshold vary from country to country. ... You do not have to be an Irish citizen to be elected to a local authority. For example, a Portuguese citizen who studies at university in France and lives at home outside term-time in the family home in the Netherlands has the option of voting in the European Parliamentary election in France, Portugal or the Netherlands. For example, if the meeting is about taxation or security issues, all ministers must be in agreement for a decision to be taken. 26/2012 «Κωδικοποίηση σε ενιαίο κείμενο των διατάξεων της νομοθεσίας για την εκλογή βουλευτών» (Α΄ 57). The draft EU law must then be approved by the Council, which is composed of government ministers , as well as by the European Parliament, which is made up of directly elected representatives from national constituencies . 26/2012 (Α ́57) αντι-καθίσταται ως εξής: «1. They have agreed to keep unanimous voting in some sensitive areas. Easy. Representatives of the European Commission are there to listen and talk to you in your own EU country. Hungarian citizens aged 18 or over on polling day and whose municipality of residence is in Hungary. The Parliament elects the President of the European Commission and approves the 27 members of the Commission as a body. Austrian citizens who are aged 16 or over on polling day, resident abroad, and have submitted a notification to be listed in the electoral register of the Austrian commune they were a resident of. [30], The third Delors Commission had a short mandate, to bring the terms of the Commission in line with that of the Parliament. Finally, EU citizens can launch or support a European citizens' initiative. For instance, a European party can buy unlimited advertising airtime in Estonia while it is barred from any form of paid advertising in Sweden.[11]. Thursday 10 June: Netherlands, United Kingdom, Saturday 12 June: Czech Republic, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Sunday 13 June: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, 5%: Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Member state subdivided into multiple constituencies: Belgium (3), France (8), Ireland (4), Italy (5), Poland (13), United Kingdom (12), Mixture: Germany (candidate lists at Länder or national level), First round: Josep Borrell, 388 votes; Bronisław Geremek, 208 votes; Francis Wurtz, 51 votes, This page was last edited on 20 March 2021, at 11:04. Since 1979, it has been elected by EU voters every 5 years. In this scenario, although the Portuguese citizen qualifies to vote in three EU member states, he/she is only permitted to cast one vote in one of the member states. Lithuania was one of the first countries in the world to grant women a right to vote in the elections. It represents the citizens of the EU countries and its members are directly elected by those citizens every 5 years. The European Parliament is one of the EU's two law-making bodies. Leader of a parliamentary democracy that is selected by the legislative branch. No change in this configuration can occur without the unanimous consent of all governments. A member of Dáil Eireann (a Teachta Dála, or TD) An outgoing member of the Seanad. They meet at least four times per year. Check whether a dialogue has recently taken place in your area or whether there is one coming up soon. Take a closer look here. The European Council brings together the presidents or prime ministers of the EU countries. Europarties have the exclusive right to campaign for the European elections; their parliamentary groups are strictly forbidden to campaign and to spend funds on any campaign-related activity. Firstly, by voting in your country's general election: as a rule, the winning party then forms your government. The Council of the European Union represents the governments of the EU countries. What are the EU institutions and what do they do? However, due to a waning of support and possible opposition from member states, Duff has taken the proposal back to committee to get broader support before putting them before the plenary in autumn 2011. Η άσκηση του εκλογικού δικαιώματος είναι υποχρεωτική. Maltese citizens aged 18 or over on polling day. Discuss your thoughts about this with the group. The Council of the European Union, sometimes called the Council of Ministers, is where representatives of all 28 member countries negotiate. Were you able to agree on the proposed destination? European Union law is a system of rules operating within the member states of the European Union.Since the founding of the Coal and Steel Community after World War II, the EU has developed the aim to "promote peace, its values and the well-being of its peoples". be resident at an address in the UK (or a British citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years) ... MPs are elected using the First Past the Post system. Click here for contact details. [6][7], Italicised countries are divided into sub-national constituencies. The European Union has a multi-party system involving a number of ideologically diverse Europarties. These subdivisions are not strictly constituencies, as they do not decide how many seats each party is awarded, but are districts that the members represent once elected. Each minister casts one vote: s/he can vote for or against a proposal, or abstain. Exercise of the right to vote is compulsory. The number of members for each region is decided dynamically after the election, and depends on voter turnout in each region. So let’s see. The European Council, which is essentially the EU’s chief executive body, comprises the 28 member countries’ leaders, all democratically elected. Belgian citizens aged 18 or over on polling day resident outside Belgium, who have sent an application to vote to the Belgian diplomatic or consular post in their country of residence. One million people, or just 0.2 % of the EU population, from at least seven EU countries are needed to launch a European citizens' initiative. The allocation of seats to each member state is based on the principle of degressive proportionality, so that, while the size of the population of each country is taken into account, smaller states elect more MEPs than is proportional to their populations. The European Council does not adopt EU laws. In these elections, EU citizens choose who will represent their interests in the European Parliament. What responsibilities do they have? However, it is important to understand what so-called Brussels actually is and who is responsible for what in the EU. That would give them individually, and the body as a whole, a democratic mandate. The next elections to the European Parliament will be held in spring 2024 and 2029, and you might be eligible to vote by then. have been living for more than three months in Germany or in another EU country. The European Parliament is the voice of the citizens. The European Commission is the 'executive body' of the EU. 25 members are needed to form a political group, and at least one quarter of the EU countries must be represented within the group. Which ministers meet depends on the topic under discussion. Turnout had constantly fallen in every EU election from 1979 until 2014. Before making a proposal, the Commission seeks the opinions of national parliaments, governments, interest groups and experts, as well as the general public, who are invited to make their comments online. A 1980 analysis by Karlheinz Reif and Hermann Schmitt concluded that European elections were fought on national issues and used by voters to punish their governments mid-term, making European Parliament elections de facto national elections of second rank. There is however a great variety of electoral procedures: some countries use a highest averages method of proportional representation, some use the largest remainder method, some open lists and others closed. The Parliament has 705 members from all EU countries. [17][18] German MEP Jo Leinen has suggested that EU parties name their top candidate for the position of President of the European Commission in order to increase turnout. If this sounds like a career you might be interested in, then you could start as a trainee. The Parliament is directly elected by EU citizens every five years. Ministers from this government represent your country in the Council of the European Union, which plays an important role in EU lawmaking. Let's pretend that you are ministers at the Council of the European Union and want to put the proposed destination to a vote by double majority. Finnish citizens entitled to vote and not legally incompetent. 26/2012 (A 57) is replaced by the following: «1. The role of minister from each of the 27 EU countries is divided up amongst the other students. You make a first and second choice when you vote. French citizens aged 18 or over on polling day resident outside France and entered either in the consular register of electors (. European Union citizens aged 25 or over, unless deprived of legal capacity. Duff sees the next Commission President possibly coming from the transnational list. Put the correct number in the box next to the following names: And now see if you can match them to their jobs by putting the correct number in each box below. Elections in Lithuania, are held to select members of the parliament, the president, members of the municipal councils and mayors, as well as delegates to the European Parliament.Lithuanian citizens can also vote in mandatory or consultative referendums. It ensures that EU legislation is interpreted and applied in the same way in each EU country. In little groups, make a list of the five main topics that you would like her/him to defend in the European Parliament. Το δικαίωμα του εκλέγειν έχουν και οι πολίτες των λοιπών κρατών − μελών της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης κατά τα οριζόμενα στο ν. Το δικαίωμα του εκλέγειν έχουν οι πολίτες Έλλη-νες και Ελληνίδες που συμπλήρωσαν το δέκατο έβδομο (17ο) έτος της ηλικίας τους». [15] There is also a study that showed how voters tend to choose candidates of a party at the European level if it has a history of advancing specific issues that they care about. Find out more here. [16] This is related to the second theory that explains voter behavior and it involves the so-called attitude voting in which voters are assumed to be acting on the basis of their attitude towards the European integration. There are plans to strengthen the European political parties[21] in order for them to propose candidates for the 2009 election. A graduate of Trinity College. Until 2019, 751 MEPs[2] were elected to the European Parliament, which has been directly elected since 1979. Because the Member States want to keep strict control of the EU. The most common procedure for making laws in the EU is called the 'ordinary legislative procedure'. [33] The Constitution failed ratification but these amendments have been carried over to the Treaty of Lisbon, which came into force in 2009. This was partly put into practice in 2004 when the European Council selected a candidate from the political party that won that year's election. Leader of the government who is freely and directly elected by the citizens. In Britain the turnout was just 34.3%, down from 38% in 2004. In small groups, have a look at the following table to see which parties from your country were successful at the last European elections and which groups they belong to. [8], There is no uniform voting system for the election of MEPs; rather, each member state is free to choose its own system, subject to certain restrictions:[6]. The two major parties are the centre-right European People's Party and the centre-left Party of European Socialists. Dutch citizens aged 18 or over on polling day. Because the Member States want to keep strict control of the EU. Any people aged 18 or over on polling day and legally resident in the European Union at the time of candidature. The last European elections were held in spring 2019.The next ones will be held in 2024. With the Lisbon Treaty now in-force, Europarties are obliged from now-on to put forward a candidate for President of the European Commission; each Presidential candidate will, in fact, lead the pan-European campaign of the Europarty. Historical percentage results in union-wide elections of the three major groups by region. In her party’s rationale, that means democratic decision-making in this country cannot be the sole right of British nationals — or as she phrased it, “people who were born here”. The rules of voting in the Council are decided by the EU countries. If the focus is on unemployment, then ministers responsible for employment and social affairs will gather. The 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) represent over 500 million citizens. For the 2014 EP election, Europarties decided to put forward a candidate for President of the European Commission. However at that time only one party had run with a specific candidate: the European Green Party, who had the first true pan-European political party with a common campaign,[32] put forward Daniel Cohn-Bendit. 96 seats in the European parliament are distributed. These give you the chance to discuss European issues with commissioners and other high-level representatives. [19][20][21] This happened for the 2014 election, with EPP candidate Jean Claude Juncker ultimately selected, after the EPP won the most seats overall. European Union citizens resident in Belgium, aged 18 or over on polling day, entered in the population register or in the foreigners' register of their commune of residence and enrolled in the electoral register. European Union citizens who are entitled to vote. European Union citizens resident in the Netherlands, aged 18 or over on polling day and not deprived of the right to stand in their home country. As an example, you can read about the Parliament's resolution to reduce plastic bag use in Europe here. No other EU institution is directly elected, with the Council of the European Union and the European Council being only indirectly legitimated through national elections. Again, the European Parliament is … 25 extra MEPs would be added on a transnational European list with its candidates being selected by the European party groups rather than national member parties. Since 1979, every five years elections are held in which EU citizens are able to elect MEPs to represent their views in the EU. Same as on the left; the passive voting age is 18 instead of 16. In many other areas, ministers take decisions by majority vote. 3–45. Any European Union citizens who are entitled to vote (whose municipality of residence is in Hungary). Mayors are elected using the Supplementary Vote system. The president is nominated by the European Council and is formally elected for 5 years by the European Parliament. Solidarity. Since no pan-European government is formed as a result of the European elections, long-term coalitions have never occurred. In Council meetings, about 80 % of law proposals are decided by majority vote. The draft laws are available on the EU website. Since the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU in 2020, the number of MEPs, including the president, has been 705. Your representatives work with Members of the European Parliament from other EU countries in political groups. In addition, the right to vote is included in Articles 20(1) and 22(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Under Article 17 of the EU treaty, as amended by the Lisbon Treaty, the Commission President is formally proposed by the European Council (the 28 heads of government of the EU member states), by a qualified-majority vote, and is then ‘elected’ by a majority vote in the European Parliament. Currently, it is Austria. Each member state returns a fixed number of members of the European Parliament (MEPs); from six, for smaller member states like Malta, Luxembourg and Cyprus to ninety-six for Germany, the largest. The work of the Council is led by each EU country in turn for a period of 6 months. European Union citizens over the age of 21, not otherwise disqualified from election to the, Italian citizens aged 18 or over on polling day who are resident in other EU member states and have submitted an application to the Italian consulate, Italian citizens aged 18 or over on polling day who are resident outside the. One of you represents the Secretariat of the Council and is in charge of the voting calculator. European Union citizens aged 21 or over on polling day and resident in Poland or the European Union for at least 5 years, were never sentenced for a crime committed consciously or accused by a prosecutor. Thursday 10 June: Netherlands, United Kingdom, Denmark, Sunday 13 June: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Member state subdivided into multiple constituencies: Belgium (3), Ireland (4), Italy (5), United Kingdom (12), Mixture: Germany (candidate lists at Länder or national level), Finland (candidate lists at electoral district or national level), Member state as single constituency: the rest. The precise day of elections is set by each Member State. The Court is based in Luxembourg and consists of one judge per EU country. Elections to the European Parliament in 2019 were held between 23 and 26 May 2019. European Union citizens aged 18 or over on polling day and who are enrolled on the voting register in Finland and whose municipality of residence, as defined by law, is in Finland on the 51st day before election day, unless he/she has lost the right to vote in the Member State whose citizen he/she is. It represents the citizens of the EU countries and its members are directly elected by those citizens every 5 years. Under the European Constitution the European Council would have to take into account the results of the latest European elections and, furthermore, the Parliament would ceremonially "elect", rather than simply approve, the Council's proposed candidate. Since the first direct elections in 1979, European elections are held every five years. A system of proportional representation is used to elect MEPs in all Irish citizens as well as EU citizens can vote in the European Elections and Local Elections. Thirdly, as a European citizen, you can make your own voice heard by taking part in online public consultations. A person who has been divested of their active legal capacity with regard to the right to vote and a person who has been convicted of a crime and is serving sentence in a penal institution, cannot vote. Take the test below to see how much you remember. You often hear in the news that 'Brussels' has decided this and that. This is why a 'double majority' (also called 'qualified majority') is required to adopt a decision: 55 % of the EU countries must vote in favour and must also represent at least 65 % of the EU population. High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, President of the European Council from 1 December 2019 to 31 May 2022. As the numbers of MEPs to be elected by each country have arisen from treaty negotiations, there is no precise formula for the apportionment of seats among member states. For example, if the meeting is about air pollution, then environment ministers will meet. The European Parliament is the EU's only directly-elected institution. Elect representatives for regional and local subdivisions, as well as mayors and other local representatives. This was taken as the parliament's cue to have its parties run with candidates for the President of the European Commission with the candidate of the winning party being proposed by the Council.[31]. Fourthly, you can have your say about what is happening in the European Union during the many citizens' dialogues that take place across the EU. are registered to vote in their home municipality. But what does that actually mean? European Union citizens aged 18 or over on polling day and whose municipality of residence is in Hungary and have submitted a notification to be listed in the electoral register.